WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. (NEWS10) — The Clark Art Institute will be hosting a lecture on contemporary tapestries with the chief curator of the Mobilier national, Lucile Montagne, on Jan. 26. The free event will take place at 2 p.m.
In the lecture, titled “Between Tradition and Experimentation: The Contemporary Creation of Tapestry,” Montagne will take a deep dive into the manufacturing traditions of two historic national tapestry workshops in France, the Gobelins and Beauvais factories. She will also explore the factories’ collaborations with contemporary tapestry artists to create new and exciting art.
The talk will be given in conjunction with the Clark’s exhibition “Wall Power! Modern French Tapestry from the Mobilier national, Paris,” which opened in December. The exhibit delves into the resurgence of traditional French tapestry-making from the 1940s to now, including works by Henri Matisse, Sonia Delaunay and Kiki Smith.
The Mobilier national is a French institution that conserves and manages the nation's royal furniture, tapestries and other textiles. Formally established in the 17th century, the institute falls under the supervision of France’s Ministry of Culture.
