Xanthoria parietina
(2026) PU foam, papier-mâché, merino roving Anke Huntjens (1991, Noorbeek, NL) creates textile artworks, often combining them with found materials. She employs traditional craft techniques that are time-consuming and explores themes relating to natural phenomena. She interweaves various themes from nature and culture.
Xanthoria parietina is the Latin name for a lichen: a fungus that lives in symbiosis with algae. The basis of this work is a mould made of PU foam, normally concealed within walls, but here visible as an impression of a carnival float. A layer of roving wool, applied using a needle-felting technique, grows over this building material, upon which organic fungal patches form through wet felting. The work contrasts the speed and efficiency of society with slowness and mindfulness, and invites us to learn from organisms that arise through unexpected collaborations.
Translated from Dutch
