BKRK Textile x MoMu

Craftsmanship is a central theme in the exhibition, with a prominent role given to 19th century loom from Ulbeek on which the designer had almost 36 metres of fabric woven to be used in producing the Bokrijk Collection. Topics such as identity and consumption are also dealt with. It allows visitors to think about how we relate to our clothes today.

The collection of historic clothing and textiles from Bokrijk is drawn from the 2,000 items that formed the starting point of the exhibition. The majority consist of everyday rural clothing from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, including some unique shawls, regional headwear, underclothes and mother's hidden purse, and from objects that were necessary for producing these items, such as looms and spinning wheels. Unlike clothes worn in towns or haute couture, very few complete outfits have survived from the past. Making clothes took time time and effort. Fashion were much slower to develop in the past and the fabrics were much more hard-wearing. People literally wore their clothes till they were threadbare and then made use of them for other purposes. Even the traces left on the clothes, hinting at what they were used for, are of great interest.