How can the museum, with its artefacts, engender identity?
Identity describes who we are - our personality, our characteristics and the things that make us who we are. It is made up of many different parts, such as our experiences, interests, beliefs and the culture in which we live. Our own identity is not static, but can change over the course of our lives. It is also strongly influenced by our relationships with other people and society.
Local identity refers to belonging to a particular region or community. It is reflected in the language, traditions and values shared in a particular environment. Global identity is seeing oneself as part of a larger, worldwide community. Awareness of global issues is growing as a result of increased networking and exchanges between people from different cultures. Both identities - local and global - can co-exist and influence how we understand ourselves and the world around us.
The museum is not just a place for art, but a framework for thinking about identities - one's own, local and global.
Weaving local stories.
Textiles can tell stories. For thousands of years, fabrics, clothing and textile works have been used to preserve cultural, social and historical narratives. They are more than just materials that keep us warm or protect us - they are testimonies to history, identity and tradition.
The ribbons in this frame are from the Wuppertal Ribbon Weaving Museum. Please touch them!
The narrowest ribbon is in the 'Barmer Bogen' pattern. The Barmer Bogen is an artistic and historically inspired fabric pattern based on the shape and design of a former railway bridge in Wuppertal-Barmen. The pattern plays with geometric shapes and curved lines that evoke the bridge's architecture.
The other stripes are in the typical 'Bergisch blue' colour and evoke the onion or strawflower patterns familiar from porcelain.
The textile history of the region is linked to the works in this room.
