The collaboration between the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia – Muve Academy and Mending for Good has given rise to “The Art of Textile Repair: From the Archives of the Palazzo Mocenigo Museum to the Creative Laboratory.”
The first meeting of this journey will be held on Tuesday, June 30th, at the Palazzo Mocenigo Museum. This is a one-day workshop that includes: an introductory lesson; a visit to the historical archives; a hands-on workshop led by master craftswomen.
“We wanted to create an experience that combined thought and craftsmanship. Imperfection becomes a creative and design space, capable of generating new value.“
Barbara Guarducci, co-founder of Mending for Good
The workshop on June 30th
The meeting aims to re-educate the concept of care by providing practical tools, offering easy creative mending techniques that enhance a defect.
The 8-hour course is aimed at a limited number of participants and includes hands-on activities on personal garments or materials made available during the workshop.
Registration is now open; the cost is €190 per participant. Space is limited, and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis (full details in the box below.)
Goals
This educational and experiential journey aims to connect the knowledge held in the museum archives with the sustainability and care of textile products, uniting cultural heritage and contemporary practice.
At its core is a reflection on the beauty of imperfection and the value of traditional mending techniques, through direct observation of damaged and repaired historical garments found in the museum archives (which, thanks to these interventions, have been preserved over time).
“This project represents a fundamental step for us: bringing the theme of care and repair into a museum institution means recognizing its cultural as well as practical value. Repair is a conscious gesture that can change our relationship with consumption.“
Alessandra Favalli, co-founder of Mending for Good
The June 30th workshop is part of a broader reflection on consumption and waste, promoting a re-education on the care of garments as an emotional memory and personal heritage. Repair thus becomes a concrete act and a form of “gentle revolution,” capable of transforming wear and tear into value.
“The Palazzo Mocenigo Museum houses extraordinary testimonies of the material culture associated with textiles. Establishing a dialogue between these archives and contemporary practices of upcycling and repair means activating new ways of interpreting this heritage and making it alive and accessible.“
Pietroluigi Genovesi, Director of MUVE Academy
- Date: Tuesday, June 30
- Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM / 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Location: Palazzo Mocenigo Museum, C. del Tentor 1992, 30135 Venice, Italy
PROGRAM
- 9:00 – 9:45: Introductory lecture Mending and repairing: technique, care, and contemporary activism with Alessandra Favalli and Barbara Guarducci, Mending for Good
- 10:00 – 12:00: Guided tour of the museum archives with Luigi Zanini, Palazzo Mocenigo Museum
- 1:00 – 6:00: Practical workshop curated by two master craftswomen, experts in handmade textiles: Donatella De Bonis and Roberta Graziani, Mending for Good team
Techniques used: Embroidery on knitwear and fabric, creative mending, free stitching, patchworking.
MATERIALS
Materials available: embroidery needles, embroidery threads and various patterned threads, fabric scraps, crochet hooks, embroidery hoops, scissors, etc.
Participants are free to bring their own garments to alter and repair, or work on fabrics available in the workshop.
COSTS
The cost is €190.00 per participant, including VAT.
The price includes:
- guided visit to the archives with the curator of the Palazzo Mocenigo Museum
- release of certificate of participation
The price does NOT include: any meals
