QB Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition newly-conceived work by textile artist Sara-Lovise Ask Ewertson, on view from August 15th to September 30th. The exhibition opens Thursday 15th of August from 6 - 8 pm.

Fastpack Softshell

Starting with the obvious. Numerous heat records are set every year all over the globe. For instance, a Swiss Alpine town, Delémont, experienced 20.2 degrees in January 2023, according to MeteoSwiss, however, the normal January score would otherwise be around 4 degrees.

Furthermore, in Titlis, another popular Swiss ski resort, a sun blocking blanket was installed to preserve glacier’s snow during the summer months a few years ago. Today the blanket is as large as 100,000 sq. m. Despite the initiative, due to the lack of optimal conditions and a plummet of snow, the glacier has shrunk to a vast extent in the last 30 years and is hence estimated to diminish completely by 2050. According to the forecast we may infer that future generations will have to say goodbye to skiing, which happens to be one of the minor losses in the wake of the climate crisis.

The work Fastpack Softshell appears as a reified concern of the artist, as it suggests an early historical depiction of the puffer jacket, a garment whose existence may diminish within a few generations because of the rapidly rising temperatures. Ask creates works that stem from the consciousness of the qualities inherent to the material being used and wishes to shed light on the knowledge that sits in the hands of the maker.

Using the classic quilting technique with exposed seams and savvy stitching, the artist puts emphasis on the closeness established through the process between the maker and the product, which is generally forgone in fast fashion production and a value overlooked by consumerists. Its polished PVC textile surfaces allure to the touch, corresponding to the character of an inflatable object, moldable by the pressure of one’s fingertip - surprising with its stiffness and durability, offering only a semblance of it.

Rather recognizable forms configure the object displayed, deriving from the classic puffer jacket pattern construction. The work imposes its notion of transient objecthood on the viewer, emphasized with over-the-top spin on the classic quilting technique used in general fashion garment making, making it look inflated and prone to popping. The sheer objecthood establishes itself as an eerie, yet quiet presence, confined by the spatial parameters of KUBEN.

Traversing the uneasy social climate of capitalism, where garments are worn about 7 times before disposal, Sara-Lovise Ask Ewertson imposes the critique on the viewer. Fastpack Softshell retains the character of a contemporary sought-after object, bound to be abolished. A not so speculative projection of a future nostalgia.

- Katarina Snoj