Universität Bonn

University and State Library

25. October 2024

“Fabrics of Dependency” – New exhibition in the Reading Room of the Main Library “Fabrics of Dependency” – New exhibition in the Reading Room of the Main Library

Exhibition “Enmeshed and Entwined: Fabrics of Dependency” by the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) shows fabrics as symbols of dependency

BCDSS presents new exhibition in the reading room of the Main Library
BCDSS presents new exhibition in the reading room of the Main Library © BCDSS
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Starting October 29th, 2024, the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies (BCDSS) invites you to the exhibition “Enmeshed and Entwined: Fabrics of Dependency” in the reading room of the Main Library. Until December 20th, 2024, interested visitors can explore the complex interweaving of textiles, power and dependency - a theme that runs through the history of human civilization.

Fabrics as symbols of dependency

Fabrics play a key role in the history of dependency. The production, distribution and use of textiles and their commodities has had and continues to have an enormous influence on societies around the globe. The exhibition reveals the underlying power structures that are responsible for the various “highly asymmetrical dependencies” associated with fabrics. With more than 30 exhibits from all over the world, you will be taken on a journey through time, regions and cultures, from the earliest settlements to today's modern consumer societies.

Complementary digital experience

In addition to the analog exhibition in the reading room, those interested will be able to access the digital version of the exhibition from any location starting October 29th, 2024.

In the complementary book "Abhängig" (currently only available in German), seven cluster members of the BCDSS examine "strong asymmetrical dependencies" in relation to textiles from a transcultural and diachronic perspective.
In doing so, they go beyond textiles as a resource and examine the diverse spectrum of human dependencies in relation to staple and luxury goods.

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