Antique Turkestan rugs and contemporary art converge at Brescia Castle

The exhibition 'I nodi dei giardini del Paradiso' at Castello di Brescia, part of the 2023 Italian Capital of Culture program, pairs 35 antique rugs from Turkestan with works by international contemporary artists. Curated by Letizia Cariello (LETIA) and Giovanni Valagussa, the show features an immersive installation of crimson ropes that guide visitors and sometimes serve as supports. Highlights include Alighiero Boetti's 'Mappe' tapestry, a textile collage by Ibrahim Mahama, and a sculptural intervention by Raúl de Nieves. The rugs, dating from the 18th to 19th centuries and sourced from cities like Tashkent, Khotar, and Kashqar, are suspended like sails. Herta Ottolenghi Wedekind's 1920s embroideries, with Rorschach-like symmetry, are also on view. The exhibition blurs boundaries between East and West, fine and applied arts, emphasizing the narrative power of textile craftsmanship.