Woven Threads, Masterpieces of Textile Art from Bali to Timor

MUSEC Woven Threads, Masterpieces of Textile Art from Bali to Timor Through October 25, 2026 Lugano, Switzerland WOVEN THREADS Masterpieces of Textile Art From Bali to Timor 11 JUNE – 25 OCTOBER 2026 VILLA MALPENSATA, SPAZIO MOSTRE The exhibition WOVEN THREADS. Masterpieces of Textile Art. From Bali to Timor explores the extraordinary textile traditions of Eastern Indonesia through two of the most significant Swiss collections dedicated to this art form. In the heart of South-East Asia, halfway between India and China, lies an archipelago that has for centuries been criss-crossed by sea routes, migration, and economic and cultural ties, and has also been shaped by colonial history. From Bali to Timor, right to the outermost Tanimbar Islands in the Southern Maluku, textiles occupy a central place in community life, preserving identity, memory and value systems handed down from generation to generation. The exhibition invites the public to discover the richness of these textile traditions through around a hundred extraordinary works from the Breguet and Zuellig collections, to which the MUSEC has dedicated extensive research. The two collections, assembled mainly during the last quarter of the 20th century, reflect different ways of looking at textiles. Georges Breguet took a scientific approach to documenting island cultures and the regional variety of textile production and its uses. Beatrice Zuellig built her collection driven by a focus on the aesthetic quality and rarity of the textile works, favouring pieces of particular impact and technical complexity. WOVEN THREADS also explores the deep cultural connections that, over the centuries, have linked these islands to the great trade routes between India, China, the Middle East and Europe. A mosaic of influences, exchanges and traditions that emerges in the colours, symbols and techniques of the artefacts on display.