For the third iteration of EXCHANGES, the Center for Chinese Contemporary Art’s Director Xiaowen Zhu (CRF 2022) invited her fellow Civitella Fellow Brigitta Varadi to talk about her multimedia practice. Matting, Felting, Bonding will be streamed online on Friday, October 21 at 3:00 PM BST.

In her practice, Varadi investigates themes of sustainability and cultural heritage through a combination of research, material experimentation, and community workshops. Her work examines the everyday rituals of small, secluded communities — connecting us to the importance of traditions in an era of mass-production and global economies.

Since 1998, Varadi has been working with natural wool as a medium to study and connect with marginalized people, following her own trajectory as an immigrant who has moved continually across borders and cultures.

For Matting, Felting, Bonding, Varadi will discuss the intimate and sensual experience of working with wool, and her work to pronounce invisible labors and value belittled traditions.

Following the lecture, Zhu will lead a conversation with Varadi to investigate her experiences of facilitating personal healing and community building through art.

Tickets are free but limited, RSVP at this link.