Why Don’t You Throw It Away?

This installation shows that you can extend the life of a textile by transforming its form and purpose. The message is conveyed by three similar woven illustrations, each of which metamorphoses into something different: the initial tapestry can turn into a curtain, the curtain can turn into a robe, the scraps of the robe can turn into pillowcases, and so on. Blanche Vivet allows the tapestry to be cut, sewn and fixed so that it evolves, grows and lives again. She invites others to do likewise with their own beloved fabrics. Besides highlighting our disregard for what we discard, this set of domestic woven items invites us to reflect on our obsession with keeping objects. It emphasises the importance of actively conserving, rather than sacralising and storing objects before forgetting them.