In the lecture, de Blasio traces the relationship between textiles and art, from ancient myths to contemporary practices. Bringing together examples from different cultures and historical periods, she explores how working with textiles shapes our understanding of time, touch and repetition. 

She also considers how textiles connect with fashion and digital technology. In a world increasingly shaped by speed and screens, what can textile practices teach us about slowing down and working with our hands? 

Drawing on a year-long research project supported by the Italian Council, de Blasio places the renewed interest in textiles in contemporary art within a much longer history. 

Ginevra de Blasio has worked as research coordinator and assistant curator on Isabella Ducrot and has also contributed texts to an upcoming publication on the artist. The exhibition opens at the Madre Museum in Naples in December 2026 and at Astrup Fearnley Museet in April 2027. A definitive 360-page monograph will be published by Hatje Cantz in partnership with Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo and Museo Madre, Naples, featuring contributions by Adam D. Weinberg and Eva Fabbris, T’ai Smith, Marta Federici, Ginevra de Blasio, and Jhumpa Lahiri. 

An independent writer and curator from Rome, she is based in New York and has worked with institutions including The Drawing Center, 99CANAL, Paula Cooper Gallery and Performa. She has also collaborated with Adam D. Weinberg, director emeritus of the Whitney Museum of American Art. She is a regular contributor to The Brooklyn Rail and writes for other international publications.