From fabric as raw material to fabric as metaphor. The theme of the next edition of Contextile lends itself to various interpretations and objectives, but the ambivalence is deliberate. The motto "By a Thread" acknowledges the vulnerability of the world's fabric, worn down by ecological, social, political and economic crises, while at the same time looking at this thread as an engine of regeneration.

“The communities are hanging by a thread,” described the director of the biennial, Joaquim Pinheiro, at the launch press conference. With this idea in mind, the organization sought artists aligned with this type of concern. This is the case of Ai Weiwei, the guest artist of the eighth edition, who will produce new works to be presented in different spaces in the city, including the tanks of the Fraterna social intervention cooperative, a historical testament to the importance of the tanning industry in Guimarães and the location where the press conference took place.

A multifaceted artist and activist, Ai Weiwei has distinguished himself through his attention to the refugee crisis and authoritarianism. In this case, his work, which in addition to the tanks at Fraterna can also be seen at the José de Guimarães International Arts Centre (CIAJG) and the Arts and Creativity Platform Square, will raise issues of heritage protection and the fragility of public space.

The choice of Ai Weiwei does not mean, however, that Contextile 2026 is merely a place of protest. The organization intends it to also be an affirmative gesture, capable of proposing alternatives and outlining paths that combine artistic creation and ethics. And this begins from within, as the fashion industry is one of the causes of the problems evoked here: resource depletion, overconsumption, extractivism, pollution. According to a report According to a report by the European Environment Agency, published in March 2025, textile consumption in the European Union increased from 17 kg per person in 2019 to 19 kg per person in 2022. Also in that year, 234 million tons of raw materials were used in the production of clothing, footwear, and home textiles, with two-thirds of these materials being extracted or produced outside Europe. 

The importance of recycling

But how will the biennial address these problems? “We are establishing contact with numerous companies in the recycling sector, as well as with new companies and institutions that are organizing themselves to respond to the issue of textile recycling,” explains Susana Milão, who is part of the artistic direction of Contextile. The program even includes a series of technical and creative workshops throughout the 85 days of the biennial, and one of them, resulting from a partnership with the Creative Europe funding program, will be dedicated to the theme of textile recycling. 

Artistic director Cláudia Melo sees the biennial as an opportunity to look at textiles as a critical language capable of functioning as a "sense of warning for more sustainable production." She emphasizes that it's not just about recycling or reusing materials, but about systemic crises. The artistic residency program that is part of the biennial (Weaving the Green (Weaving the Green) seeks to address these crises and their different dimensions, starting with environmental sustainability and the community. The objective of the residencies, developed in partnership with Guimarães European Green Capital 2026, is to reinforce the synergy between contemporary textile art, the textile industry, traditions and raw materials, blending it with sustainability and giving rise to interventions in public space. As an example, Cláudia Melo mentions a proposal that will work with donated clothing as symbolic food, evoking the importance of the table as a moment of pause and reflection. “The sense of community relationship is placed beforehand"The artists come to work with the community, [with] more or less specific communities that are also selected according to their projects, and collaborate at different stages of the work process," emphasizes Cláudia Melo.

The relationship with the community doesn't end there, extending to partnerships with local textile industry agents that make the artistic work possible. And it's not a simple challenge, as Joaquim Pinheiro is keen to emphasize, since it involves interrupting the production plan to integrate these works. This is the case with Têxteis Penedo, one of the biennial's partners, where the tapestries that serve as the basis for one of the artistic interventions will be produced. "It was difficult to find a company that could block production" for one, two or three days, acknowledges Joaquim Pinheiro.

Fraterna Tanks, where it will be possible to see one of Ai Weiwei's interventions.

Photography by Ivo Rainha

Record participation

The eighth edition also marks a record participation, as noted by Joaquim Pinheiro at the press conference. 1604 artists from 81 countries submitted a total of 2036 works in response to the open call for the International Exhibition. From this pool, the jury selected 54 works by 51 artists from 27 countries, including Ânia Pais, Estela Ribeiro de Melo, Frank Lahera O'Callaghan and Mariana Bacelar, based in Portugal, chosen according to criteria of "high creativity, originality and technical skill in relation to the textile element, construction, theme, concept or material used," according to the biennial's website. 

The international exhibition is joined by the exhibition “A Change in the Weather? Material storytelling in an Age of Uncertainty”, curated by artist and professor emerita at Goldsmiths, University of London, Janis Jefferies. In this programming pillar, four artists (from Spain, Thailand, England and Hong Kong) will address themes of sustainability, climate change and other societal challenges. 

The relationship with schools is renewed through the Emergencies program, through which students from art schools that include textile-based subjects are involved in the creation and production of works of art. The works will then be presented in a dedicated exhibition.

Also from an educational, but international, perspective, the Fiber Media Lab, an interdisciplinary art laboratory based in Hangzhou, China, will present a project curated by the artist Assadour Markarov and students from the China Academy of Art. “Growing House,” a house made from weaving, knitting, knots, and collage, addresses the house not only as a habitable place, but also for its symbolism of security and shelter.

According to Isabel Ferreira, the Culture Councillor of the Guimarães City Council, Contextile, which this year coincides with the European Green Capital, is also a way of thinking about how artistic expressions can spark reflection and stimulate the development of territorial policies.

The biennial's various programmatic lines will occupy 15 spaces in the city center. The international exhibition will take place at the Vila Flor Palace, and the exhibition resulting from the project "A Change in the Weather? Material Storytelling in an Age of Uncertainty" can be seen at the Palacete Santiago, the Sociedade Martins Sarmento, and the Galeria da Garagem Avenida. The Emergencies program will take place at the Guimarães Design Institute, and the project... Growing House It will take place at Curtir Ciência, located in the former Âncora Tannery, a space dedicated to disseminating science to the school community. 

The residency program Weaving the Green This will lead to interventions in the Largo do Convento de Santo António dos Capuchos, in the Praça do Conde Arnoso, in the Municipal Market and in the Alberto Sampaio Museum.

In the first few days of the biennial, on September 6th and 7th, the Small Auditorium of the Vila Flor Cultural Center will host the... Textile TalksTwo days dedicated to the exchange of ideas, projects, and research related to textiles, art, and other disciplinary areas.

O Gerador is a media partner for this edition of Contextile.