Aleksandra Gaca’s Fabric of Life

“Since we are constantly exposed to an ever-changing stream of digital information today, textiles are more important than ever for the feeling of safety and comfort they provide,” says designer Aleksandra Gaca, who will present her new textiles at Milan Design Week from April 4 to 9. Titled Fabric of Life, it will be the Dutch designer’s first solo exhibition in Milan. The result of more than two decades worth of work, Gaca’s pioneering 3D-woven textiles have caught the eye of various architects and companies, from John Pawson to Casalis and from W Hotels to Renault.

“With their regular structure and harmonious weaves and colours, as well as their sensory qualities – their ability to soften sound, their reassuring warm touch and their aesthetically balanced appearance – my textiles provide a much-needed sense of rest,” the Polish-born Gaca explains. “Textiles have a positive effect on our emotions. The softening effect on the senses – touch, sight, hearing – is something I find very important in the modern world and what I most want to share.”

Forming part of the Dutch pavilion at Palazzo Francesco Turati, Masterly, Gaca’s Fabric of Life includes her recent experiments with weaving techniques, materials and colour. New throws and cushions introduce fresh sophistication to the Bloko fabric’s rectangular structure and gradated hues. Acoustic fabrics such as the Architextiles Art panels boast new geometric forms and vivid contrasts in colour and finish. Ondo, a new quality in Trevira CS for Casalis, is also available in 16 different colourways.

A bespoke site-specific work by Gaca will form part of the Mondriaan to Dutch Design exhibition, also part of Masterly. Inspired by Theo van Doesburg’s compositions, the work will be used as the auditorium wall covering for the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden, reopening in 2019.