Unearthed – Kunsthaus Bregenz

‘Unearthed’ transformed the exhibition halls of Kunsthaus Bregenz into landscapes, in which visitors were engaged in a fascinating but oppressive story about earth and water. The four enormous tapestries, measuring 6 by 3.5 metres, depict the destructive impact of humans on nature and the pressing social themes associated with life on earth. The fabrics are filled with references to climate issues, the legacy of colonialism and the refugee problem. In the Bregenz exhibition, the story began on the ground floor with the dark tapestry ‘Abyss’, which shows the deepest depths of the ocean, and ended on the top floor with the scorching ‘Sunlight’. The tight weave of the first tapestry becomes progressively looser in each fabric, until the top of the final tapestry, with its long floats, appears to dissolve into the light.