Solo presentation at Art Brussels 2023 Discovery section with Kogo Gallery. Curated by Šelda Puķīte.
“As with her work in ceramics, Põld approaches fibre art with a strong interest in its histories and traditions, drawing from this knowledge when developing new projects.
Her works in the Discovery section can be seen as a homage to the remarkably long history of textile-making, with weaving practices believed to date back as far as 19,000 BCE—and evidence of fibre use reaching even earlier, to around 35,000 BCE. The role of textiles became especially significant during the Ice Age, when dramatic shifts in climate pushed humans to adapt to colder environments. They developed bone needles, crafted warmer and more fitted clothing, and migrated out of Africa toward cooler regions—including what is now Estonia, the artist’s native country. In Estonia, traces of ancient glacial movements remain visible in the varied stones scattered across the landscape. These stone forms have become a recurring motif in Põld’s textile works—just as earth and subterranean matter feature prominently in her clay sculptures.
In the context of post-pandemic uncertainty, ongoing threats of war, and global energy crises, Põld’s engagement with fibre and thread feels quietly radical. Her turn toward slowness, tactility, and elemental knowledge evokes an enduring human capacity for care and self-reliance—an alternative to the extractive systems of fast fashion and industrial overproduction that continue to devastate communities and ecosystems alike.” – Šelda Puķīte
Performances by Sigrid Savi
Photos by Albert Kerstna and Lucie Deluz
