Colourful, touchable: the open and modular textile structures knitted and woven by Charlie Holper invite people to approach them with playfulness. Creating something that would have been a paradise for their inner child, Holper extends the joyful side of the art experience to everyone, clearing a path from the elitist mysteries often surrounding art.
Contemporary art can be viewed as exclusive and respingent. Barely accessible to the broader public, it also manages to keep the niche still interested in it at a safe distance. The most common interdiction found in museums is" do not touch"-suggesting protection against damages-, however, oftentimes it is the processes and techniques behind a work that are an enviously guarded secret. Refusing this state of affairs, Holper tries to open the making process to everybody, and welcomes knowledge-sharing, tactility and amateurism. Their work functions as a reminder that creative practices are enjoyed through the pleasure of making, which may require some basic skills, but no expertise. Holper's practice cherishes sharing and accessibility, where they foster a broad participation within the different moments of their process: fabrics can be donated by communities, and Holper organises sewing-circle workshops, where people actively produce future parts of installations. In each case, a public both feels and becomes part of the final work.
In this collective dimension, spoken and unspoken stories end up invisibly woven between the second-hand fabrics and threads. These extend a strong symbolism (as in the myths of Moirai, Parcae and Norse) and histories. Traces of feminism are carried together with the wonder that something unexpected might appear by repeating a very simple action thousands of times. Trusting their curiosity, Holper lets the work lead in its developments and directions. Following the unfolding of the work and its stratified collective intelligence can undoubtedly tell new stories: new narratives full of openness and joy .
Elisabetta Cuccaro
