Linen is perhaps the worlds oldest textile and is derived from varieties of the Flax plant.
Here we take you on a sensory journey, describing the growing cycle, relaying the traditional stages of production and illustrating how this textile is manufactured today using sight, sound, smell and touch. With image, song, scent bottle and touch tray, we pick up the threads of cultural union that tie Scotland into Europe from plant to product.
Image courtesy of Maureen Hammond
For details of our Edinburgh Events schedule, visit our 2019 Events pages.
Linking art, design and industry, Our Linen Stories exhibition explores a rich heritage, new work and insights into contemporary materials and manufacturing at home and abroad. These are set out in two sections below:
The exhibition has evolved through the generous participation of many people during our two year research period. For our Exhibition in Edinburgh we have designed additional stations to reflect this:
Images throughout the tour have been captured by Maxime Ragni of K.I.S.S. Photography and our photomontages created by Abid Nazir.
Exhibition Design was in collaboration with artist Nick Sargent at Custom Lane and at Dovecot with designer Lorna Brown.
Installation was by Nick Sargent at Custom Lane, James Mackay on our 2018 tour and Eric Schumacher at Dovecot Studios.
Special thanks to Kate Greyner, Susan McAteer and Ellen Mason of Dovecot Studios and to Colin Sanderson and Jenny Bruce of Artiscience Library at Summerhall.
An Archive Listing suitable for this and future independent Exhibition Tours was developed in collaboration with Ben Hanyecz.
A Linen Story accompanies each Station, printed on linen paper specially commissioned from Alison Newman of PULP in Glasgow.
