Deconstruction / Reconstruction
October 11, 2025–April 12, 2026
Poland
Curators: Marta Kowalewska and Bukola Oyebode-Westerhuis.
On October 11, 2025, the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź will open the 18th International Triennial of Textile—the world’s largest and oldest event dedicated to contemporary textile art. This year’s edition carries special significance: the Triennial celebrates its 50th anniversary and, over half a century, has established itself as one of the most important forums for artistic dialogue across borders.
The theme of this year’s Triennial, “Deconstruction / Reconstruction”, reflects the tensions and transformations of the contemporary world—both social and cultural. It not only engages with pressing issues such as the redefinition of norms, value systems, and identities, but also resonates with broader philosophical discourse. After all, deconstruction is understood here as a way of critically reading reality, opening the field for new narratives.
Textile as a seismograph of change
From its very beginnings, the Łódź Triennial has acted as a sensitive “seismograph” of transformations—in both art and the wider world. Since the 1970s, it has provided a platform for the integration of artists from around the globe. Today, in an era of renewed political and social tensions, textile reaffirms its role as a medium that powerfully tells stories of communities, memory, migration, women’s roles, identity, and the search for new orders.
The fabric of textile—at once intimate and collective—proves to be an ideal language for engaging with global issues. As the works submitted to this edition demonstrate, deconstruction and reconstruction are not only artistic processes but also metaphors of today’s world: from redefining the idea of home through the experience of migration, to women’s emancipation and the building of inclusive communities.
50 years in dialogue with the world
The International Triennial of Textile was founded by the Central Museum of Textiles in Łódź and, since 1975, has gathered artists from around the world. Each edition presents the latest phenomena in textile art while also bearing witness to the transformations of society, culture, and artistic language.
Every new edition reveals a diversity of perspectives and increasingly dares to address difficult themes. Thus, the exhibition always serves both as a presentation of artistic exploration and as a space for exchange, reflection, and shared storytelling about contemporary life.
An event that connects generations
The 18th edition of the Triennial also features a rich program of accompanying events: artist talks, debates, workshops, and educational projects. All of these activities share a common purpose—to make textile art a forum of dialogue, where deconstruction transforms into reconstruction, and diversity becomes the foundation of a new community.
At the exhibition, we will see 69 works by artists from around the world, selected from over 1,600 submitted entries. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of side events including:
The exhibition Rhizomatic Portals: Ways of Knowing, curated by Bukola Oyebode-Westerhuis, presenting works by artists from African countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, and Madagascar;
Agnieszka Pilat’s installation Weaving Intelligence, created with the use of an autonomous robot. The installation will demonstrate how the latest technology intertwines with tradition and how artificial intelligence can influence contemporary art. During a live presentation, a Boston Dynamics robo-dog will attempt to embroider on canvas (October 11–November 30, 2025).
