What people wore to the opening of AGSA’s ‘Radical Textiles’ exhibition

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEAGHAN COLES

The street style was as vibrant as you’d expect.

Last week, art and fashion lovers gathered at Adelaide’s Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) for the launch of Radical Textiles, a world-exclusive exhibition exploring how textiles have served as powerful tools for social change and political expression over the past century and a half.

Featuring more than 150 works by artists, designers, and activists, the exhibition examines textiles as a medium for resistance, remembrance, and reconciliation. You’ll find contributions from Australian talents including Grace Lillian Lee, Linda Jackson and Romance Was Born, plus international designers like Viktor & Rolf, Iris van Herpen, Issey Miyake and Vivienne Westwood reveal the enduring power of textiles to communicate potent ideas and spark social change.

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Curated by Rebecca Evans and Leigh Robb, Radical Textiles asks, “What is radical about textiles?” The exhibition highlights how textiles have been used to challenge societal norms, from Don Dunstan’s iconic pink shorts worn to Parliament in 1972 to the ways First Nations artists use fabric to ‘unpick’ colonisation. It also examines movements for women’s suffrage, queer rights, and climate justice, demonstrating textiles as a powerful form of activism.

Drawing from AGSA’s collections, as well as private and public collections, the exhibition showcases works from international, Australian, and First Nations artists. Highlights include feminist and queer art, such as suffragette banners, drag queen fashion, and memorial quilts from the AIDS crisis. A standout is a contemporary quilt by Australian artist Nell, celebrating women’s creativity and labour.

The exhibition also pays tribute to the legacy of British designer William Morris, whose handwoven tapestries in the late 19th century sought to counter the industrialisation of textiles. This ‘slow making’ ethos is explored alongside contemporary artists experimenting with traditional techniques in response to today’s fast-paced digital age.

The Honourable Andrea Michaels MP, Minister for Arts says, “Whether you are a fashion lover or an avid embroiderer, Radical Textiles is an opportunity to experience the profound impact of textiles throughout modern history. This is an exciting and engaging exhibition that demonstrates the impact textiles and fashion have had to start conversations and capture pivotal moments in time.”

The exhibition’s opening night delivered an array of vibrant street-style looks, with plenty of bold colour and as expected, some radical prints.