The Pliable Plane

From 28 September to 27 March 2027, the Exhibition Hall at the Bank of Spain will host a new exhibition featuring its textile collection. It is a journey through textile art as a space where art, architecture and industry converge.

The exhibition traces a journey in which textiles become an active element that help organise space, absorb sound and create a sensory experience. Using this idea as the central theme, the exhibition analyses the ability of tapestries to tell stories, the convergence of craftsmanship and industry in textiles or the recovery of this artistic discipline through feminist movements. 

The exhibition is divided into two sections  The first section brings together classic rugs and tapestries from the Bank of Spain’s Collection and highlights their role in defining the architectural environment: organising spaces, modulating light and sound and contributing to the configuration of institutional spaces. This section combines the functional and the representative through works from the Royal Tapestry Factory or sets like those by Geraert Peemans, Urbanus Leyniers or Jacques Neilson.  

The second section analyses the meaning of textiles beyond functionality.  The woven pieces become tools for formal experimentation and critical reflection, delving into their political, social and symbolic dimension. Works by artists such as Esther Ferrer, Elena del Rivero, Narelle Jubelin, Elo Vega, Isabel Oliver, Teresa Lanceta, Yto Barrada, Patricia Esquivias, Mercedes Azpilicueta, Andreas Maria Fohr, Manuel Chavajay or Dora García can be seen in this section.

Therefore, the exhibition presents textiles as an open field in which materiality, history and language converge, creating a network of relationships in which each piece contributes to understanding fabric as a surface, structure and a way of thinking. Its title, The Pliable Plane refers to the ability of textiles to adapt, organise space and build new interpretations of the collection from a transversal perspective.

Image Credits:

• Victoria Gil (Badajoz, 1963). Locals working 3, 2023. Embroidered tablecloth. 300 x 160 cm. Bank of Spain Collection
• Royal Tapestry Factory. Rug, 1861. Turkish knot or symmetrical knot. Warp thread: wool. Weft: wool. Knot: wool. Textile density: 15 knots/dm². 1096 x 581 cm. Bank of Spain Collection
• Jacques Neilson (Edinburgh?, 1714 - Paris, 1788). Manufacture Royale des Gobelins (Paris), following the design by Antoine Coypel. Susan accused of adultery. From The Old Testament series, 1751 - 1781. Wool and silk, 80 warp threads / dm. 400 x 570 cm. Bank of Spain Collection