I definitely recommend the 'Disobedient Object 's exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, on until February 2015. This is the first exhibition to examine the powerful role of objects in movements for social change.
Most of the stuff exhibited were made by people collectively taking design into their hand to make a change in the world. From giant puppets representing the pain of Iraqi mothers to provocative counterfeit machines, there are some very interesting pieces that even taken out of their wider context have a really strong impact.
There was a pair of two left-footed trainers, allegedly stolen by DC, 19, during the 2011 London riot. She entered a shop, took the shoes and left them outside the same shop ten seconds later.
A simple pair of shoes, briefly stolen, costed her 10 months in prison.
There were mannequins wearing big gorilla masks - those you often find in dressing up shops - but in this case their meaning was less of a joke and more a provocative call to highlight gender and racial inequality in the art world. They were part of a stunt launched by the Guerrilla Girls in response to an exhibition organised by the Museum of Modern Art, featuring 169 of the most important contemporary artists. Of these only 13 were female.
However, the piece that strake me the most - because close to issue that inspired me to set up Matik - was the 'Nike Blanket' by Cat Mazza: a huge blanket made by tiny knitted squares, each made by Nike garment workers to call for better labour conditions and fairer policies in Nike's factories.
The Nike blanket project was created to 'unify disparate global craft communities in an anti-sweatshop project in order to promote micro craft economies and small act resistance to the feminization of labour'. Amazing to think the strong power a simple blanket can have.
I like to think that in their own way Matik's quilts are a bit the same, but instead of telling about someone's struggle, they tell about someone's victory.
www.facebook.com/Matikboutique
Most of the stuff exhibited were made by people collectively taking design into their hand to make a change in the world. From giant puppets representing the pain of Iraqi mothers to provocative counterfeit machines, there are some very interesting pieces that even taken out of their wider context have a really strong impact.
There was a pair of two left-footed trainers, allegedly stolen by DC, 19, during the 2011 London riot. She entered a shop, took the shoes and left them outside the same shop ten seconds later.
A simple pair of shoes, briefly stolen, costed her 10 months in prison.
There were mannequins wearing big gorilla masks - those you often find in dressing up shops - but in this case their meaning was less of a joke and more a provocative call to highlight gender and racial inequality in the art world. They were part of a stunt launched by the Guerrilla Girls in response to an exhibition organised by the Museum of Modern Art, featuring 169 of the most important contemporary artists. Of these only 13 were female.
However, the piece that strake me the most - because close to issue that inspired me to set up Matik - was the 'Nike Blanket' by Cat Mazza: a huge blanket made by tiny knitted squares, each made by Nike garment workers to call for better labour conditions and fairer policies in Nike's factories.
The Nike blanket project was created to 'unify disparate global craft communities in an anti-sweatshop project in order to promote micro craft economies and small act resistance to the feminization of labour'. Amazing to think the strong power a simple blanket can have.
I like to think that in their own way Matik's quilts are a bit the same, but instead of telling about someone's struggle, they tell about someone's victory.
www.facebook.com/Matikboutique
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