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In her wall installations, Katja Davar draws on the pattern books of Isabella Parasole, a 16th-century Italian artist. Parasole’s lace designs were distributed from Italy to many countries across Europe. Trade facilitates the exchange not only of economic interests but also of cultures. In this context, ornaments become a medium of communication.
Lace, which developed as a distinct textile tradition in Europe, spread through trade, colonization and globalization. Meticulously crafted by hand, it was considered a luxury good and, from the 16th century onward, also a symbol of power.
In Davar’s installation, the structures of the lace ornaments—which usually appear delicate and understated—take on a new presence. Similarly, many diverse trade routes—traced on the globes—which span the world like a network, are made visible.