Steiermarkhof Graz

Art with all fibers for 40 years now

Renate Maak: 40 years of textile art at the Steiermarkhof(Bild: Steiermarkhof/Pachernegg)

In Graz, the name Renate Maak is inextricably linked with textile art at the Steiermarkhof. To mark the 40th anniversary of her workshops and exhibitions "International Textile Art", the summer exhibition at Steiermarkhof is now dedicated to her.

Today, textile art (internationally known as "fiber art") is experiencing a boom. It is well represented at the Venice Biennale and was also a fixture at the last documenta. In this country, textile art was considered for centuries to be a field that women could be trusted with, while the "real" artists created their works with pencils, chisels and brushes.

Mockery of "women's pastimes"
The painter Oskar Schlemmer (1888 -1943), for example, mocked "Where there is wool, there is also a woman who weaves, even if it is only to pass the time", thus striking at the heart of the prejudices. Even at the progressive Bauhaus, weaving was declared a "women's class" from 1920 onwards.

The fact that these views changed in this country is due in no small part to the tireless efforts of Renate Maak. Born in Stralsund and living in Graz since 1982, she organized the first international textile art symposium in 1984 in what was then called the Raiffeisenhof Steiermarkhof and invited artists from the CSSR and Yugoslavia against all odds. 

A triptych by Renate Maak(Bild: Steiermarkhof/Pachernegg)

With consistency and perseverance, she led the art movement out of the arts and crafts corner and over the years impressively demonstrated what international artists could do with fibers. So it is no wonder that Johannes Baumgartner from Steiermarkhof is honoring the founder of "International Textile Art Graz" with a solo exhibition to mark its 40th anniversary. An exhibition that "incidentally" illustrates how powerful and fresh Maak's approach still is today. The works can be seen until July 24.