As part of a six-month scholarship recived from Kunststifung Sachsen-Anhalt, Mona Reich investigatet the communicative properties and possibilities of embroidery.
18 embroidery kitts where given to patients at a hospital radiotherapy department. Patiens at this department have to sit and wait for multiple hours during treatment and therefore sometimes welcome a relaxing activity that can be done during that time. In addition the radiotherapy causes a dumpness in fingers over time and the movment oft he fingers, like stitching is considered a therapy to alleviate that condition when in initial state.
The embroidery motive deals with the topic of visibility and invisibility. Many things that take place in private are invisible to society. The private is not intended for the public and should not be seen. This also applies to embroidery in many cases. It is seen as a private occupation that takes place in the domestic context. But embroidery is a high level of artistry that deserves recognition. The technique of embroidery is therefore well suited to present topics that are regarded as private, but are relevant to the public.
This relevance becomes apparent, when many private events are considered and similarities between them become visible.It shows that private issues are based on a structure which is shaped by society.
Applied to the motif of this work, this means that each square is based on the same pattern, but all are somewhat different in their executions. At first glance, the pattern is not directly recognizable. If you put all the squares together, you get an overall picture and a structure that holds everything together becomes visible.
At this stage of time some of the participants are still working on their embroideries. Once all pieces find their way back, they will be put together and exhibited at the hospital.
