The Curatorial Team Behind the Art Institute of Chicago’s Fall Exhibition: On Loss and Absence
by Ben Kim Paplham (MFA 2021)
When you look at this tattered fragment of faded linen and wool, you see it’s called Child’s Tunic. On a cursory glance, we can see the red-threaded patterns of birds and leaves, or read the description that marks it as an Egyptian garment. But in the context of the exhibition you’re viewing—On Loss and Absence: Textiles of Mourning and Survival, on view through March 15, 2026, at the Art Institute of Chicago—you’re asked to approach the objects with empathy.
The team of curators for this exhibit are tied together through the Fiber and Material Studies department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Anne Wilson is a professor emeritus for the program, L Vinebaum is an associate professor, Isaac Facio is a senior lecturer as well as an associate conservator of textile conservation for the museum, and alum Nneka Kai (MFA 2019) worked closely with Wilson in SAIC’s Textile Resource Center during her graduate studies.
The exhibit is divided into four key themes: “Death and Mourning,” “Transition of Realms,” “Care and Repair,” and “Resistance and Survival” as a compendium to how various cultures, across various times, have used textiles to express grief, spirituality, healing, and perseverance. The curators also edited an accompanying illustrated book which journeys through the rich histories of textiles, exploring their significant cultural roles. The four curators took the time to explain the process for this exhibition.
Ceremonial Hanging (Palepai), 19th century. Paminggir people; Kalianda, Lampung area, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The Art Institute of Chicago, gift of E. M. Bakwin Indonesian Textile Collection
Ceremonial Hanging (Palepai), 19th century. Paminggir people; Kalianda, Lampung area, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The Art Institute of Chicago, gift of E. M. Bakwin Indonesian Textile Collection
Ogboni Chief’s Wrapper, early to mid-20th century. Iwo Yoruba; Nigeria. The Art Institute of Chicago, O. Renard Goltra Fund
Ogboni Chief’s Wrapper, early to mid-20th century. Iwo Yoruba; Nigeria. The Art Institute of Chicago, O. Renard Goltra Fund
Talismanic Tunic, mid- to late 20th century. Djenné or Tombouctou, Mali. The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth M. Schultz Endowment Fund
Talismanic Tunic, mid- to late 20th century. Djenné or Tombouctou, Mali. The Art Institute of Chicago, Elizabeth M. Schultz Endowment Fund
Where did the idea for this exhibition come from?
The larger themes of loss and absence were apparent from the beginning but took many years to develop and refine. Anne Wilson first proposed the idea in 2020 to Melinda Watt [chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles at the Art Institute]. Our first visits to the museum’s textiles collection were socially distanced while wearing face coverings as the entire museum was closed to the public. Death and loss being so closely tied to the pandemic, and the increased focus on social justice in spring 2020, also informed our interpretations.
How did the four themes come into being?
We wanted to emphasize that textiles, and the cultures and makers or communities that create them, survive over time. They started to really take shape concretely around 2022 or 2023. The four of us worked collaboratively on the sections, but we each had themes and objects that we were especially passionate about.
What was the curation process like for choosing the final objects for the exhibition?
There were very practical considerations that influenced our choices: the number of objects that the galleries could accommodate, and visualizing the visitor’s experience moving through the galleries. We had a lot of input and support from the Art Institute curators and staff across multiple departments—especially the expertise of textile curators Melinda Watt and Janet Purdy. There were many intense debates and discussions, but we made decisions by consensus as much as possible. We all had some favorites. We each had to compromise at times. In the end we’re all thrilled with the object selection and how everything looks in the galleries.
Nehan: Death of the Buddha 涅槃図, late 17th–early 18th century. Japan. The Art Institute of Chicago, Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Nehan: Death of the Buddha 涅槃図, late 17th–early 18th century. Japan. The Art Institute of Chicago, Martin A. Ryerson Collection
Memorial Pendant, 1800. England. The Art Institute of Chicago, bequest of Elizabeth H. Rosenak
Memorial Pendant, 1800. England. The Art Institute of Chicago, bequest of Elizabeth H. Rosenak
“Textiles are used in ceremonies; they are associated with mourning, remembrance, and calling forth ancestral spirits. Textiles often survive death and loss.”
Untitled, Nick Cave, 2023. Collection of the artist
Untitled, Nick Cave, 2023. Collection of the artist
Mujeres (Women), Carina Yepez, made in collaboration with Maricela Herrera (auntie) and Lula Yepez (mom) and in gratitude to Amalia Martínez from La Haciendita, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2023. Collection of the artist
Mujeres (Women), Carina Yepez, made in collaboration with Maricela Herrera (auntie) and Lula Yepez (mom) and in gratitude to Amalia Martínez from La Haciendita, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2023. Collection of the artist
What are some of the key objects for the exhibition
There’s a patolu from India that tells a very complex tale of trade, status, and mourning rituals; two palepai or ship cloths from Indonesia that symbolize transition; and a very rare chief’s robe from the Ogboni culture. A dance hat from the Bamileke culture is embellished with hair and that’s intimately connected to Nneka’s work.
It was essential that historical textiles from the Indigenous Americas be presented and contextualized from the perspectives of contemporary Indigenous artists. We collaborated with the Cusco-based Noqanchis collective and with fifth-generation Diné weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete. They advised us on our selection of Peruvian and Diné objects in the show and contributed their own artworks to create a dialogue with the historical textiles.
We included a textile from Palestine, and we worked with cultural historian and embroiderer Wafa Ghnaim to provide personal and cultural context for Tatreez (Palestinian embroidery). It was crucial to include textiles from Africa and the African diasporas, and complement historical textiles with loans of contemporary artworks by Black American artists like [Stephanie and Bill Sick Professor of Fashion, Body and Garment] Nick Cave, Karen Hampton, and Angela Hennessey.
We also wanted to focus on loss and survival in Chicago’s Black and Mexican communities, which we did with loans of work by local artists Dorothy Burge and Carina Yepez.
How do you think the exhibit can help us understand what it looks like to preserve identity and dignity today?
Preserving dignity happens for many reasons, including caring for and honoring the deceased and carrying their memories forward among the living. That often extends across generations, by honoring ancestors and community members as we try to do in the exhibition. Textiles are used in ceremonies; they are associated with mourning, remembrance, and calling forth ancestral spirits. Textiles often survive death and loss. ■
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