“Long goods“ or rolls (Langware in German) is a collective term for all those goods, especially for fabric, which are sold according to their length. Thus, the term «Langwarzeit «, discovered by the artist in an old letter, seems to refer to the First World War, during which there was a ban in Switzerland on the export of cloth and gauze to the belligerent nations. However, since embroidered fabrics were exempt from this embargo, embroidery, could be exported and was used by the warring nations as bandage material in the absence of other fabrics. The installative examination of the scarcity of goods, war-related sanctions and trade restrictions was created in particular against the backdrop of the current war in Ukraine, the artist’s home country.

Elsa Himmer (text in German) for the exhibition FABRIK – Season 1. Auf Spurensuche