afra eisma - Galop Along

In this installation, featuring a large rug and a group of textile creatures, afra eisma creates a lively, almost playful environment in which imagination and tactility take centre stage. The rug acts as the heart of the space: a soft, colourful landscape that invites visitors to take a seat, pause for a moment and let themselves be carried away into an alternative world. Surrounding this carpet, which consists of kilometres of colourful thread, are a series of textile figures that are simultaneously friendly, strange and endearing. They are imaginary companions, characters that embody eisma's inner stories and emotions.

The installation reflects the influence of writers such as Audre Lorde and Ursula K. Le Guin, whose ideas about care, language, community and imagination are reflected in the way eisma designs their characters. The textile creatures appear to be engaged in a gathering: an informal, almost homely moment of togetherness. The setting evokes associations with a living room, a campfire site or a temporary meeting place where time and logic are temporarily suspended.

The installation can be read as a plea for better listening: to each other, to our environment, and to the silent stories hidden in colours, shapes and materials. The artist creates a space where visitors – especially those who have experienced sexual violence – are recognised and embraced. Galop Along is a space where no one is a stranger.

afra eisma is the fifth artist in a series of eight solo presentations at the Palace of Justice. The exhibition is curated by Daphne Verberg and is a collaboration between Atelier Rijksbouwmeester and Nest.