27 March – 27 May

The Fabrication of the Image showcases the unique talents of Amsterdam artist Martin Fenne (b. 1964). It is the first museum exhibition to honour this artist, displaying his early work from the mid 1990s to his most recent work dating from 2017.

Martin Fenne creates ‘paintings’ using textiles: instead of a paintbrush, he sows together satin piping in layers to create extremely eye-catching ‘textile sculptures’. The careful use of colour and the way the light falls onto the satin piping make his flat creations seem truly three-dimensional. His work features clearly visible influences from old masters, such as the thirteenth-century painter Giotto.

This exhibition clearly shows what Martin Fenne’s art is all about: exploring and recording social phenomena that intrigue him. Major sources of inspiration include his immediate surroundings and images that we see every day in the media. He takes these influences and creates art that elevates them into productions with a deeper meaning, with subjects ranging from phone centres and old mattresses in the big city to portraits of refugees. The latter subject was the basis of his successful series Sleepers (2007-2013).