“Out of Place”: Cross-Cultural Collaboration and Virtual Space

Through the lens of the exhibition “Out of Place” (OOP), this paper investigates the commonalities between textile practices in the post-industrial cities of Manchester, UK and Hangzhou, China. By considering works that may exist on the periphery of textile practice, questions are raised concerning the shifting notion of textiles, particularly in regions that have deep textile histories. Through the reflections of [Author 1], who curated the exhibition, and drawing upon the research of the fellow authors and their situatedness in Manchester, this article explores the notion of a virtual space in relation to the methods of communication employed throughout the Manchester-Hangzhou collaboration. Virtual space is presented here as an environment in which ‘textile narratives’ take shape within and across different sites, examining contemporary methods of communication, collaboration and curation. Connecting Manchester and Hangzhou with this virtual space, the article expands the dialogue between artists at Manchester School of Art and China Academy of Art by reflecting on a common language of textiles and our contemporary manifestations of material culture