Mandy Bonnell and Déirdre Kelly
14 June – 8 January 2025
Museo del Merletto, Venice
Fragile Stories by Mandy Bonnell and Déirdre Kelly explores the historical practice of domestic lace-making, paying tribute to the extraordinary skill of its anonymous, female practitioners. Almost six years in development the exhibition features contemporary works made in response to artefacts held in the archives of the Palazzo Mocenigo and the outstanding lace collection held at the Museo del Merletto.
Fragile Stories expresses the desire to embrace and participate in the rich creativity of the female hand, attuned to the delicate rhythms of nature and often – like lace itself – far stronger than it seems. It is a conversation with lace makers of the past that touches on issues of fragility and durability, manifested in delicate objects and beautiful traceries cut into fine papers and geographical maps.
Bonnell’s Imparaticci pages and lace ‘hems’ originate in the pin-pricked sampler books that were passed down in families from generation to generation as the templates for lace patterns. Her drawings bear references to traditional floral designs such as the Venetian ‘Punta Rosa’ motif and to the repetitive rhythms of stitching that are expressed in her work as grids of tiny pencil marks.
Kelly’s intricate, cut paper sculptures are fashioned into the shapes of stoles, collars, cuffs, gloves and babies shoes that are shown alongside examples of antique originals. Working with found paper maps she locates the objects in relation to areas renowned for the quality of their lace-making crafts and, in particular, to Venice.
Museo del Merletto
Burano, Piazza Galuppi, 187, 30142 Venezia (VE) Italy www.museomerletto.visitmuve.it
(Open 10.00 – 16.00 Closed Mondays)
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