Threads of Resilience: Layered Narratives of Reclamation and Repurposing.

Dalgart, Romania

An artist’s residency and exhibition hosted at DalgArt, in collaboration with artists Deborah Gardener and Eirini Boukla.

Based in the countryside near vast forests in the Southern Romania, DalgArt is built and developed as a residential base and studio/exhibition space. DalgArt proposes curatorial activities, workshops and dialogue, projects development and international exhibitions and above all, the expansion of Fine Art among less likely areas and demographics.

The project investigated how the processes and experience of contemporary art can help break the chain of mindless consumption. Considering ideas of reclaiming and reworking, the artists used found materials from the surrounding area, to create new artworks that reflected the location and highlighted the creative potential and cultural significance of repurposing and recycling.

Embracing the inherent resilience that arises from a "make do and mend" philosophy and how it can become an impulse to drive creativity, growth, and progression, each artist developed a unique approach to their practice of selecting and responding to found materials. The work created over a two-week residency culminated in an exhibition, emphasising the transformative potential of a shift in attitude towards discarded materials and environmentally conscious ways of making.