An Enduring Tradition
Kiki Smith, Seven Seas, designed 2016, woven April 11, 2017–October 2, 2023, wool. Mobilier national, Paris, France, GOBT-1398. © Kiki Smith, courtesy Pace Gallery. Photo: Isabelle BideauGlobal interest in tapestry and other fiber arts, which was intense for several decades after World War II, declined in the 1980s. Exhibitions, publications, and outlets for promoting modern tapestry as an art dropped off. Cheaper products diluted the market, and the importance of tapestry as an art form in the years after the war receded from memory. However, the Mobilier national continued its commitment to the medium, engaging with multiple contemporary artists each year to create new works on its looms. Along with some other tapestry workshops, such as the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, Scotland (in continuous operation since 1912); the Australian Tapestry Workshop in Melbourne (established in 1976); and the West Dean Tapestry Studio in England (also in operation since 1976), the Mobilier national and the artisans at les Gobelins, Beauvais, and Aubusson have kept this tradition alive and responsive to developments in contemporary art. The Mobilier national actively uses its collection of modern and contemporary tapestries as decoration within French embassies around the world.
Recent years have witnessed a resurgence in attention to modern and contemporary tapestry, with renewed activity in exhibitions, publications, and gallery offerings. This exhibition is one of a few over the past decade devoted to the topic, bringing new attention to compelling and engaging achievements in the medium. Thanks in part to the Mobilier national, contemporary artists will continue to have opportunities to contribute to this rich and evolving history.