LEVI’S X IAN BERRY at Design Week Milan

British Artist Ian Berry’s giant mural, made entirely of jeans for the 150th Anniversary of Levi’s 501®, rolls into Milan for this year’s Design Week. The iconic brand’s milestone is celebrated with this landmark piece by the famed London based artist, whose signature medium is recycled denim, it’s no surprise that Levi’s turned to him to make, in their words, “a work of art as iconic as the 501® Jean.”

The piece hanging in Paris in March

Earlier in the year, the Levi’s® brand introduced its Greatest Story Ever Worn global campaign celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 501® jean as an ever-expanding story, written and rewritten by everyone who wears them. In their own words Levi’s said, “As the excitement around the anniversary ramps up, Europe has taken the celebration to another level, partnering with the famous denim artist Ian Berry on a three-day art installation in the heart of Paris.” Ian Berry’s European tribute to the legendary American brand’s global campaign debuted last month in Paris’s Place de la République. You can see this extraordinary mural at its next exhibition in Milan for Design Week from April 17 to 23, and in Madrid’s Plaza del Callao from May 4 to 7.

Milan Design Week’s showing of Berry’s mural is part of Interni Fuorisalone 2023’s Design Re-Evolution Exhibition at the University of Milan’s historic Ca' Granda central courtyard, in Via Festa del Perdono, one of the city's most symbolic buildings. Given that Ian Berry pioneered the use of jeans as his artistic medium nearly two decades ago, his reuse of denim makes Interni’s exquisitely curated FuoriSalone 2023 a perfect forum to exhibit the work.

Berry is no stranger to Italy and has been featured in numerous Italian publications in the country where ‘blue jeans’ were not only first popularised, but also where denim has played an important role throughout many cultural evolutions, both ancient and modern. “I’ve worked with the city of Genoa which is of course where the name ‘jeans’ originated, and unveiled a portrait of Garibaldi at Museo del Risorgimento with ‘the unifier of Italy’ depicted wearing the progenitor of modern jeans. In the 15th century port city of Genoa, a strong cross-weave cotton from the French city of Nimes was used for sails and protecting goods, resulting in the name ‘denim’ from Serge de Nim. Similar textiles were later dyed with indigo, fashioned into work clothes and exported with the French name ‘bleu de Genes’ – ‘blue jeans.’ Berry notes, “It was there I saw the beautiful indigo tapestries.”

Garibaldi by Ian Berry at Museo del Risorgimento (click to see more)

Armani and Lapo Elkann in denim both hang in Italy

More recently, during the 80’s heyday of jeans, many famous Italian brands innovated the jeans concept, and many designers would say the 501® is the both foundation and pinnacle of denim fashion. This embrace of denim has led to frequent visits from Berry to the northern region of Italy - the home of European denim - which hosts many great brands as well as high-quality denim suppliers and textile innovators. 

Ian Berry is well-known for his detailed interior and exterior scenes as well as his emotive portraits, many of them of key figures connected to denim. “At one point many of my portraits were simultaneously in Italy, with both Armani and Lapo Elkann having one, my Debbie Harry hanging at Luxottica, and the Ayrton Senna portrait showing in Turin at APLOG, Alessandro Del Piero’s museum. When I was growing up in the 90’s I really felt that denim, while seen as American, had truly been embraced and elevated by Italian fashion. I think the country has a great connection to the material,” Berry said.

Ian Berry’s portraits for LEVI’S Chile in 2022

Berry’s all-denim photorealist art has shown around the world in galleries, museums and art fairs. As part of Milan Design Week, his piece for Levi’s is being taken to the people, shown outside in one of La Statale Ca' Granda’s magnificent courtyards, for all to see. This current piece for Levi’s 501® is the largest ever made entirely of denim, standing at 13 feet tall and 33 feet long, or four by ten metres, and is made solely from pre-worn denim. Conceived and crafted by Ian Berry in his East London atelier, the impressive mural was carefully assembled on site in Paris out of hundreds of bits of cut denim jeans.

By collaging the pieces of recycled 501® so well that to most it looks like a blue-toned painting, the artist pays tribute to some of the communities and movements that have contributed to the iconic design's legacy. Seven figures representing key cultural archetypes, from the cowboys of the 1880s to the punks and queer communities of the 70, bikers, rebels and one that represents the workers via a Rosie the Riveter type character, appear in a striking composition revealing how Ian Berry and Levi's® pay tribute to those who have made the 501® a timeless fashion item that crosses styles and generations. A banner reading “Legends Never Die” flies symbolically along with the incredible cast of dynamic figures that make up this beautiful piece.

Ian Berry installing in Paris

For the artist, whose signature medium is recycled denim, this project holds a very particular significance. “There is no history of blue jeans without Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, and the 501® is the pinnacle of jeans, so this 150th anniversary definitely feels like a big thing to me,” Ian Berry said. “The history is so rich; it was pretty easy to draw inspiration from all the people who did great things in their denim. The result is the largest piece that I have ever attempted. Countless hours went into this work, but I’m immensely proud to finally see the result together.”

Ian’s name has been linked to Levi’s for some time. In fact, LS&Co. historian Tracey Panek is a long-time admirer. “I am a fan of Ian Berry’s work and craftsmanship,” she said. “He’s such a talented artist with a gift for using denim. I keep one of his books in my home!” Recalling her exchanges with the artist around denim legends, Tracey commented, “This project looks amazing. Ian’s interpretation of the 501® jeans recurring presence in counterculture and progressive movements is on point. I’m excited to see it myself.”  

Commenting on the activation, Mathilde Vaucheret, brand marketing director, South Europe, said, “I’m proud that our Levi’s brand could associate its name with this great artist on such a milestone year and that we could share his stunning work of art on this busy and diverse square at the heart of Paris. This year’s Greatest Story Ever Worn campaign is all about celebrating the 501® jean with our fans and thanking them for being a part of this inspiring story.” 

Map of the courtyard showing the location to the piece (top corner)

Location

Interni Fuorisalone 2023 - Interni Design Re-Evolution 

University of Milan, via Festa del Perdono 7

17 - 23  April 2023

Ian Berry commissioned to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Levi 501

This last week saw Ian Berry take over Paris’s iconic Place de la République with a massive mural made entirely of denim to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Levi’s iconic 501® Jeans after teaming up with the famed American brand.

The piece, which Levi’s bills as “a work of art as iconic as the 501® Jean,” is the largest ever made entirely of denim, standing at 13 feet tall and 33 feet long, or four by ten meters, and is made from pre-worn denim. Conceived and crafted by Ian Berry in his East London atelier, the imposing mural was carefully assembled on site in Paris out of hundreds of bits of cut denim jeans.

Photo - Kristy Sparow

By collaging the pieces of recycled 501® so well that to most it looks like a blue-toned painting, the artist pays tribute to some of the communities and movements that have contributed to the iconic design's legacy. Seven figures representing key cultural archetypes of people, from the cowboys of the 1880s to the punks and queer communities of the 70, bikers, rebels and one that represents the workers via a Rosie the Riveter type character, appear in a striking composition revealing how Ian Berry and Levi's® pay tribute to those who have made the 501® a timeless fashion item that crosses styles and generations. A banner reading “Legends Never Die” flies symbolically along with the incredible cast of dynamic figures that make up this striking composition.

Ian’s sensitivity and artistic vision reinforces the strong symbolism of the fresco. The way the characters are depicted in movement, heading in the same direction and resolutely looking forward, is an ode to freedom and the power of diversity that drives change — values the Levi’s® brand has long supported. 

Ian Berry in his East London Studio

Earlier in the year, the Levi’s® brand introduced its Greatest Story Ever Worn global campaign celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 501® jean as an ever-expanding story, written and rewritten by everyone who wears them. In their own words Levi’s said, “As the excitement around the anniversary ramps up, Europe has taken the celebration to another level, partnering with the famous denim artist Ian Berry on a three-day art installation in the heart of Paris.”

photo Kristy Sparow

Earlier in the year, the Levi’s® brand introduced its Greatest Story Ever Worn global campaign celebrating the 150th anniversary of the 501® jean as an ever-expanding story, written and rewritten by everyone who wears them. In their own words Levi’s said, “As the excitement around the anniversary ramps up, Europe has taken the celebration to another level, partnering with the famous denim artist Ian Berry on a three-day art installation in the heart of Paris.”

For the artist whose signature medium is recycled denim, this project holds a very particular significance. “There is no history of blue jeans without Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis, and the 501® is the pinnacle of jeans, so this 150th anniversary definitely feels like a big thing to me,” Ian Berry said. “The history is so rich; it was pretty easy to draw inspiration from all the people who did great things in their denim. The result is the largest piece that I have ever attempted. Countless hours went into this work, but I’m immensely proud to finally see the result together.”

Dr Tanja Roppelt, Johan Kalb, Michael Karmann and Ian Berry with the Levi Strauss portrait in Buttenheim.

Ian’s name has been linked to Levi’s for some time. In fact, LS&Co. historian Tracey Panek is a long-time admirer. “I am a fan of Ian Berry’s work and craftsmanship,” she said. “He’s such a talented artist with a gift for using denim. I keep one of his books in my home!” Recalling her exchanges with the artist around denim legends, Tracey commented, “This project looks amazing. Ian’s interpretation of the 501® jeans recurring presence in counterculture and progressive movements is on point. I’m excited to see it myself.”  

In 2022, Ian Berry unveiled a portrait made especially for the Levi Strauss Museum, the ‘jeans inventor’s birthplace in Buttenheim, Germany, ready to commemorate this years milestone, and he also created three portraits of Chilean musicians to exhibit at Lollapalooza with Levi’s Chile which now hang in the Plaza Egaña Metro station in Santiago where hundreds of thousands of people pass by.

Ian Berry with Tracey Panek, Levi’s Historian at the Archives at Levi’s, San Francisco

The latest exhibition in Paris, which was shown for three days at the iconic location, included a complete takeover of a local café with a display of different models of 501® jeans, including the Circular 501® and their most recent launches, the 501® 54’ and 501® 81’. Levi’s not only showcased its history, but also walked through the process of creation, showing cotton plants and other raw materials that go into their textiles in the ephemeral exhibition to showcase the original jeans brand’s history inside the square’s Fluctuât Nec Mergitur café.

Commenting on the local activation, Mathilde Vaucheret, brand marketing director, South Europe, said, “I’m proud that our Levi’s brand could associate its name with this great artist on such a milestone year and that we could share his stunning work of art on this busy and diverse square at the heart of Paris. This year’s Greatest Story Ever Worn campaign is all about celebrating the 501® jean with our fans and thanking them for being a part of this inspiring story.” 

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Next locations

April 17th - 26th Università degli Studi di Milano, la Statale  MILAN 

May 4th - 7th Plaza del Callao  MADRID

You can catch the fresco at its next stop in Milan for Design Week at Università Statale from April 17 to 25, and in Madrid at Plaza del Callao from May 4 to 7.

Ian Berry Denim Portraits unveiled on Metro Santiago, Chile

Works made in only denim by British artist Ian Berry of Anita Tijoux and Roberto Márquez surprise passengers at the Plaza Egaña station in Santiago, Chile.

Two works by the British artist Ian Berry were donated to honor both Chilean musicians, within the framework of Chilean Music and Musicians Day.

Fans and press with Roberto Marquez at the unveil on Metro Santiago - MetroArte

On Wednesday 5th October 2022, two portraits of the artistic Ian Berry were revealed, highlighting the Chilean national musicians Anita Tijoux and Roberto Márquez of the Illapu group. At the inauguration that took place at the Metro station, Plaza Egaña, the President of Metro, Guillermo Muñoz and the mayor of Ñuñoa, Emilia Ríos joined the prominent Chilean musician Roberto Márquez de Illapu.

The works measure 2.74 meters high by 2 meters wide, are made from recycled denim scraps over many weeks and were donated to the Metro Arte Cultural Corporation. They had been originally made to be shown at the Lollapalooza festival in 2022. The works will be able to be seen by the 119,000 passengers who on average spend a week at this point, a combination of Line 3 and Line 4.

Roberto Marquez with the artwork made in denim by Ian Berry in the Metro in Santiago

Guillermo Muñoz, President of Metro, was present at the activity to give way to one of the most significant artistic interventions around a legacy that will transcend time. “With this beautiful work, the MetroArte catalog reaches 73 works in more than 11,000 square meters of permanent art on the network. These numbers show how important it is for the company to bring art closer to our male and female passengers, as a way to also generate more friendly and attractive urban spaces,” he commented.

The mayor of Ñuñoa, Emilia Ríos, highlighted the importance of giving added value to public spaces. “Art is a tool to enrich public spaces, it creates identity and an attachment to our neighborhoods and all the places we visit daily, and in this sense the Metro plays a fundamental role because it not only unites the city, it is essential to make a city , therefore it is important that everyone's spaces have art samples and I think they will gradually become visual icons of our city, so I am very happy to be here today, "he said.

Roberto Marquez with Ana Tijoux on Metro Santiago - MetroArte

"I think it is important to the extent that popular singing is being honored, hopefully this is the beginning of a great gallery that shows our popular artists, I am happy about that," said Roberto Márquez, Illapu's vocalist.

Both portraits will be permanently exhibited to the public at Plaza Egaña station in the area of ​​stairs that lead to the platforms of Line 3 and are part of the campaign that seeks to be a real contribution to the culture of national music in the most used means of transport in the Metropolitan Region.

Ian Berry unveils a Portrait of Levi Strauss in the 'Jeans Inventors' Hometown.

On the 25th of September 2022, which commemorates the 120th anniversary of Levi Strauss' passing, Ian Berry unveiled a portrait made especially for the Levi Strauss Museum in the presence of a full house of intrigued visitors in the entrance of ​​his birthplace.

He was born in the German town of Buttenheim on the 26th February 1829 and now stands a museum in the home the Bavarian immigrant to the USA, spent his first 18 years It now is home to the artefacts and history of the life of the man born Leob Strauss and celebrates his legacy.  The museum commissioned Ian Berry, to create a portrait of Levi Strauss to proudly hang in the museum. 

Buttenheim's Mayor Michael Karmann was very pleased to have the artist’s work of international renown permanently exhibited in the museum as well as hosting Ian Berry once again in Buttenheim, Germany. In 2020 his extremely successful exhibition "Art in Denim" was shown at the Levi Strauss Museum.

Tanja Roppelt, Johan Kalb, Michael Karmann and Ian Berry with the Levi Strauss portrait.

In attendance were many of the people that help realise this opportunity to commission the portrait, as well as many of the masterminds of the Museum, including Christoph Gatz, the chairman of the association for the development of the Levi Strauss Museum birthplace, District Administrator Johan Kalb (CSU) as well as Tanja Roppelt, the museum director and curator.

Christoph Gatz praised the fact that the artist uses worn jeans for his works and thus makes an important contribution to the topic of sustainability and waste avoidance. The museums current temporary exhibition is “Sustainability?! Dealing with clothing yesterday and today” which also includes a section on Fast Fashion’s Graveyard, Ian Berry’s film about the clothes waste in the Atacama Desert.

Ian Berry with visitors.

Journalist Andrea Spoerlein said.

‘As with Ian Berry's other artworks, looking at the portrait is reminiscent of an oil painting or photograph. Dominated by the basic shade of jeans blue, due to the raw material, the artist has created an extraordinary portrait of the company founder through cutting, trimming and the extremely artistic assembly of individual jeans fabrics. Of course, he is not wearing jeans, but is depicted as a wealthy businessman of his era. The work is protected by a suitable frame with a special glass, theft and insect-proof.

The completely unpretentious artist allowed himself to be photographed with visitors and was happy to be back in Buttenheim.’

Ian Berry has been working over the last two decades with this medium and is known for his art made of only varying shades of denim jeans throughout the world. During the pandemic Ian Berry was one of the busiest artists on the planet with several museum shows going one around Europe. The first was launch in the fall of 2020 and was at the Levi Strauss Museum in Germany. 

photo of Levi Strauss Museum by Peter Weigelt

Tanja Roppelt, curator of the museum said. 

‘‘In 2020, we hosted the extremely successful exhibition "Art in Denim" with Ian Berry, which attracted people from all over Germany to Buttenheim despite the pandemic. We’re very excited to have him back with us and to unveil this piece of the ‘jeans inventor’”

Sculpture of Levis Strauss by Berlin artist Rainer Kurka. Photo by Peter Weigelt

hidden is a golden rivet in his hand behind his back. Photo by Peter Weigelt

 The Levi Strauss Museum Jeans & Kult founded in 2000 after much renovation of the small half-timbered house. Modern and interactive presentations will inform you about the person and his product - Levis in the 136 sq. m. exhibition space. An audio guide in different languages takes you through the house and tells the stories on Levi Strauss and his invention. Ian Berry helped the museum celebrate the 20th anniversary in 2020 with his exhibition. They also introduced a sculpture of Levi Strauss by the German Artist Rainer Kurka. 

photo of Levi Strauss Museum by Peter Weigelt

Next year sees the 150th anniversary of the most famous jean. The 501 created by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss and marks the date of the patent that protected the new way of making the pants strengthened by rivets. On May 20, 1873, together they applied for the US Patent No. 139,121 for "Improvements in fastening pocket openings" This trademark feature became Registered U.S. Trade Mark No. 1,139,254. This created the brand not only synonymous with denim jeans but one of the most iconic names on the planet. 

Ian Berry Talks at Fashinnovation.nyc in New York

FASHION IS TRANSFORMING JEANS INTO A STORYTELLING ART

Ian Berry joins Fashinnovation in New York for the 8th Edition of the World Wide Talks where he will talk about his upcoming documentary Fast Fashion’s Graveyard - showing a three-minute trailer and then talking about it live with Christopher Blomquist of Rivet Magazine and lecturer at Parsons School of Design.

11:55 AM EST live from New York

To Register click here

WORLDWIDE TALKS 2022

THE BIGGEST FASHION AND INNOVATION EVENT IN THE WORLD

Since 2018, Fashinnovation have hosted over 500 of fashion’s leading innovators to audiences representing 120 countries. Respected voices like Diane Von Furstenberg, Susan Rockefeller, Kenneth Cole, Julie Gilhart, Fern Mallis, Steve Aoki, Steve Madden, Rachel Zoe, Donna Karan, Tonne Goodman, Coco Rocha, Oskar Metsavaht, Mara Hoffman, Miroslava Duma, and many more have shared knowledge through our platform.

Institutions like the United Nations, Parsons, LIM College, and FIT; brands including Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, Nasa, IBM, Google, and UPS; and media channels such as Business of Fashion, WWD, Forbes, Fast Company, Refinery29, and VOGUE, have all supported their vision.

Through these global conversations, we inspire and ignite revolutionary actions and change across our industry. Fashinnovation crosses boundaries and amplifies topics including sustainable development goals, social impact, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, connectivity, and new technologies all seen through the lens of innovation.

Fast Fashion’s Graveyard by Ian will-pre launch at Fassinovation in New York with an interview with Ian Berry in person and online by Christopher Blomquist

About Fashinnovation

Fashinnovation’s mission is to be the global thought leader for the fashion industry in fostering innovation. Entrepreneurial minds are protagonists in the urgent transformations of the fashion world. Promoting connections that inspire change is the key that paves the way for real innovations.

Fashion & Innovation are two strong words that can never walk apart.

The new word that was created to show that real transformation takes place through connections and forward thoughts. Fashinnovation global platform connects voices from the fashion & innovation ecosystems, inspiring an entrepreneurial mindset, combining creative minds, and encouraging a more sustainable & inclusive industry.

The Fashion Industry inspires. Technology Facilitates. Entrepreneurship Makes It Happen. Together, they multiply their effect. When these universes join, the impossible becomes possible. If you want to be avant-garde, you need to join other restless minds to achieve a stronger impact. The place where all changemakers & entrepreneurs come together to rewrite the future of fashion is here.

For more information and to Register

https://fashinnovation.nyc/events/worldwide-talks-2022-7th-edition/

FASHION IS TRANSFORMING JEANS INTO A STORYTELLING ART

11:55 AM EST

FAST FASHION'S GRAVEYARD | Ian Berry in the Atacama Desert Chile

Fast Fashion’s Graveyard

A documentary film by Ian Berry - COMING SOON

-        Artist Ian Berry makes a documentary about the clothes waste in the Atacama Desert in Chile named Fast Fashion’s Graveyard

-        A three-minute trailer will preview in New York with Fashinnovation on 7th Sept – where Ian Berry will be interviewed by Christopher Blomquist, Rivet Journalist and Professor of Fashion Journalism at Parsons School of Design

Ian Berry in the Atacama Desert in Chile

British Artist Ian Berry, 38, has often been linked with sustainability over the years but it’s a word he has never tried to use with his art made from recycled jeans ‘It was a side show of my work, but not the concept’. That seems to have changed after he witnessed the direct impact of overproduction of garments and the clothes mountains discarded in Chile.

‘Sustainability is an overused and abused marketing word which has as much worth as the word ‘nice’. I felt a fraud to use it, besides, I’m not making a big difference, nor had it been the concept or point of my work. I have been doing my work for longer than it became such a buzz word. Perhaps I’m just jaded by knowing too many people abusing it’

Earlier in the year however he found himself in the country’s capital, Santiago, having created the portraits of three of Chile’s most popular musicians which were then presented at Lollapalooza. In between some events he had some free time and he was offered a trip away. He’d seen the clothes dump in the Atacama Desert outside Iquique in Alto Hospicio that had just gone viral and was seen on the likes of BBC and DW. Snubbing much more obvious travel destinations he opted to visit the northern coastal city, known as the driest on the planet.

Seeing the piles of jeans in his East London studio it’s hard to not see the comparison with what he saw in the barren desert.

‘While I may not talk about sustainably much, leaving it to those who either know better, or can profit from it, it doesn’t mean I don’t care about the core issues. Few know that I nearly went back to university in 2006 to study climate change after watching An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore, but while I was recycling denim, I will be honest, I never even connected that I was doing anything linked at the time.’

Piles of clothes in the Atacama Desert in Chile. Photo Ian Berry

He has now returned to the South American Country twice more, both linked to ongoing projects as well as trying to find out more about what is going on and why many of our old clothes ended up in Chile, unwanted and left to rot. While he will soon preview his documentary ‘Fast Fashion’s Graveyard’ he will openly admit he is not a documentary maker and on the first trip it happened quite naturally. ‘I was taken aback by being there and just started to make little videos with my iPhone. I hadn’t intended to make a documentary and it’s been quite a learning curve.’

‘I’d researched it a lot before I first went but when there I had so many questions, many that people couldn’t answer. I also realised that there were very few people, if anyone, from outside South America that had ever gone there and when it had gone viral it was all from one person’s footage (who had himself done great work), but then the reporters had never been. While I don’t think  it was on purpose, the reporting led to a misrepresented story of what was going on and who was responsible, mainly letting the viewer believe the brands were directly dumping their clothes there. It’s much more complex, and I had to return to find out more.’

Ian Berry in the Atacama Desert witnessing himself the clothes waste piled up

Agence France-Presse,’s research found that about 59,000 tons of clothing that wasn’t sold in Europe or the USA end up at the Freeport of Iquique every year, but what’s surprising is a whopping percentage of that, at least 39,000 tons are moved into landfills in the desert typified by the one Ian Berry visited in Alto Hospicio the country’s poorest area.

‘Like everything in contemporary times we debate on headlines and there’s little nuance. I wanted to look into the story to find the truth, but also I’d seen it talked about many places yet with few solutions or positive messages of what people are doing, or what people can do.’

Ian Berry showed an installation on the beach in Iquique with Studio of…

On Berry’s second visit he worked with Estudio of.. in Iquique. A collective of creatives and artisans who have been working with recycled textiles and most proudly sporting second hand clothes. They grouped together to help Ian Berry make flowers for a recreation of his Secret Garden installation that was then displayed on the beach in the city during the Festival Desierto Sonoro with thousands of people passing through.

Ian Berry with some of Studio of…

Ian Berry with Desierto Vestido

One member of the collective that worked with Berry was Angela Astudillo, who is also a part of Desierto Vestido who have been investigating this for a while now. She lives close by the dump and has visited many times and she went with Ian Berry when he returned and helped him with many of the facts. She has documented much of what has been going on. While he started with an iPhone, on the second trip Berry had a more professional kit supported by Audiovisual Iquique who, with drones, were able to capture the scale.

Astudillo was also able to introduce the artist to the people that live on the site which enabled him to ask direct questions of what is going on and why.

Ian Berry with Rosario Hevia of Ecocitex in Santiago, Chile looking at her recycled yarn

Frank Zepeda of Ecofibre Chile in Iquique with Ian Berry

For Berry it was important to find positive stories and to share them. Highlights were meeting with Franklin Zepeda of Eco Fibra who transforms the textile waste into insulation panels for low cost housing and as a native of Alto Hospicio could tell Berry much of what had been happening. Gonzalo Muñoz who was nominated by the Chilean presidency and the United Nations as the High-Level Climate Champion for the twenty-fifth Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC). Prior to this role, he co-founded and ran TriCiclos, one of the most recognized Latin American companies in the circular economy and recycling. The company was also the first certified B corporation established outside North America.

Ian Berry met with Rosario Hevia twice, in Santiago who passionately spoke about the issues as well as showing Ian around her factory where her brand Ecocitex is a social enterprise that sells 100% recycled textile products through more than 250 women-led businesses across Chile.

The documentary shows Berry visiting the Freeport locations and Zofri, the area where the clothes are brought in in bundles and sold, under much secrecy. While the imports had been portrayed as a bad thing, he also visited resellers in Santiago as well as second hand stores that sell good second-hand clothes making them affordable for many Chileans and of course making the clothes life span longer.

In his research Ian Berry also found he had jumped the gun a little, ‘The name already can give a misconception’, although one part became true. Fast Fashion Graveyard. ‘Soon after I left the third time it set on fire and then it was buried, so it went from an open grave to being concealed.’ However, he questions whether it is fair it is named fast fashion as in his research he found that while many big name brands could be found, they are not the ones that he thinks fall in the fast fashion bracket.

‘I think most people watching the first wave of publicity brought on the dump blamed fast fashion and big-name brands, I went around and found that all the items were unique, as in there wasn’t batches of the same clothes. While many had labels on they were often the likes of TJ Maxx and also Goodwill. Yes, we can talk of overproduction and also our throwaway society and trends, fair is fair, but  it is not the brands who are directly responsible. That said, it is their name on the labels and our clothes dumped there – often after thinking we have done a good thing in donating to a charity shop.’

A three-minute trailer will debut at Fasinnovation in New York on Sept 7 in partnership with Spring Studios - with an interview filmed live at 11.55 EST with Christopher Blomquist, Rivet Journalist and Professor of Fashion Journalism at Parsons School of Design.

Founder Jordana Guimaraes who invited Ian Berry said, ‘Ian is just extremely talented and inspiring, and I feel SO lucky to have him with us next week sharing this project and opening people’s eyes in so many ways.’

For more Information and to register

https://fashinnovation.nyc/events/worldwide-talks-2022-7th-edition/

Ian Berry X Canary Wharf for Earth Day

Swap Station: Canary Wharf Shoppers’ Second-Hand Clothes to be Transformed into Art for Earth Day – 20.04.22

• New clothes donation bank will sit in Jubilee Place mall from 20-27 April, where shoppers can donate old clothes in return for shopping vouchers

• The Swap Station was designed by artist Ian Berry, who will create an exclusive new art piece with the second-hand garments

• Remaining clothes to be donated to Love Not Landfill

Canary Wharf has announced the launch of its new Swap Station for Earth Day – a clothes donation bank that lets shoppers swap their old clothes for shopping vouchers from a range of retailers in the malls.

The striking installation will sit in Jubilee Place mall and has been designed by the artist famed for his work with denim jeans, Ian Berry. Berry will transform the donated denim jeans, jackets and accessories into a piece of exclusive new art that will hang in the mall, with the new artwork unveiled in June to coincide with World Environment Day.

Ian Berry at the Swap Station in Canary Wharf

The Swap Station opens to the public for a week from Wednesday 20th April. In return for their old clothes, shoppers will be rewarded with a voucher redeemable at selected stores across Canary Wharf.

Any clothes not used for the new artwork will be donated to Love Not Landfill, a non-profit campaign to encourage fast fashion fans to buy second-hand, swap, recycle and give to charity.

More than 300,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill each year in the UK[1] , many items of which could be re-worn or recycled. The Swap Station will give a new lease of life to the clothes donated and forms part of Canary Wharf’s ongoing investment in public art and sustainability. Berry’s final piece will join over 110 permanent works by over 50 international artists currently around the Estate, making Canary Wharf a rich tapestry of diverse artwork.

Poplar-based artist Berry is world renowned for his work turning old denim into striking visualisations, notably creating celebrity portraits including Debbie Harry and Georgio Armani. He is known for intricate works depicting real life in collections including Behind Closed Doors and My Beautiful Launderette in 2016 and Hotel California in 2019.

Artist Ian Berry said: “It’s brilliant to be working on a project so close to home which combines art, sustainability and the local community at Canary Wharf. Recycling denim is a fantastic medium for seeing the world and creating a piece from the donated Swap Station clothes to be displayed in Canary Wharf is extremely exciting. I strongly encourage the public to donate any unwanted clothing and watch their items be transformed into art.”

Canary Wharf is the UK’s leading sustainable developer and the Swap Station campaign forms part of Canary Wharf’s wider Conscious Consumer initiative, which encourages visitors to live, eat and shop locally through sustainable retail choices, refillable water stations, transport links, extensive green spaces and plastic-free lunch spots.

Home to an extensive art collection and with sustainability at its core, Canary Wharf is a 24/7 city where people can work, live and thrive and enjoy all the benefits; great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a huge range of activities and amenities.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office
Canary Wharf Group plc
T: 020 7404 5959
E: pressoffice@canarywharf.com

Artist Profile | ROBERTO MARQUEZ

ROBERTO MÁRQUEZ

(1951, ANTOFAGASTA - CHILE)

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Roberto Marquez Is a Chilean musician, composer, charanguista, vocalist and musical director of the group Illapu since it was formed 1971.

Since its beginnings, Illapu has developed a unique, innovative, experimental and beautifully conceived sound that over the years became a musical and poetic proposal that synthesizes with sensitivity the dreams and aspirations of various generations.

In the summer of 1971, in Antofagasta, along with his brothers; Jaime, Andrés and José Miguel Márquez, along with Osvaldo Torres, they started the group influenced by the New Chilean Song and the Andean and Latin American ancestral culture that is very present in the region.

In 1972 they recorded their first album, "Illapu: Música andina", which launched the group on the national scene. It is then presented for the first time at the Viña del Mar International Song Festival (1973) the most important music festival on the continent.

Illapu's musical genealogy goes back to the ancestral roots of the Andean world. From that inexhaustible source his harmonic and sonorous constructions are born. Time and contact with the contemporary world have opened new musical horizons and aesthetic conceptions for Illapu. This is how illapu reveals today a wide range of sounds, textures, rhythms, melodies, atonalities and harmonic polyphonies that achieve a unique and characteristic amalgam that is impossible to separate.

In 1978 they made their first tour of Europe, and they were invited to play at L'Olympia in Paris, at the Sorbonne Auditorium.

However in 1981, when they were returning from their second tour of Europe, they were prevented from entering the country by the Pinochet regime and exiled in France. This is certainly something that peaked Ian Berry’s interest in Roberto and the band as they had spoke out against the regime.

In the early spring of 1988, Illapu finally returned home after 7 years in exile. They were received by more than 100,000 people in their first concert in Parque La Bandera in Santiago. Even in their absence, the popularity had increased.

In ‘91, the album “Vuelvo amor... Vuelvo vida” obtained its first gold record. Since then, Illapu has received countless awards, gold discs and platinum awards.

They perform on the biggest stages in Europe, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, North Africa, and Australia, where in 1987 they received the "Media Peace Award" from the S.B.S. TV.

After settling in Mexico in 1986, they travel through much of Latin America and the Caribbean prior to returning to Chile.

Ian Berry in his London studio with the Roberto Marquez portrait

In the early spring of Illapu is still performing today fusing its Latin Andean roots with elements of jazz, with harmonic constructions of classical music, with the syncopation of Afro-Caribbean, combined with the unbreakable force of rock.

Illapu sings of life, love, justice, the preservation of the cultural sources of America, the contradictions between man and nature, and the tensions created by the processes of modernity. Most of its compositions are written by its members and are also nourished by the lyrics of great poets such as Pablo Neruda, Mario Benedetti, Roque Dalton.

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They use a wide variety of musical instruments from different origins. The ancient aerophones: zampoñas, quenas, quenachos, tarkas, sicuras, moceños, trutrucas, pifilca. In addition to traverse flute and saxophones. From Latin American strings they perform bandurria, Venezuelan cuatro, Bolivian charango, Colombian tiple, together with electroacoustic guitars, electric bass and keyboards. They also play various percussion instruments such as bombo legüero, Peruvian cajon, congas, bongo, kultrún, djembe, Latin percussion and drums.

Illapu is a group that experiments and fuses its Latin Andean roots with elements of jazz, with the harmonic constructions and counterpoints of classical music, with the syncopation of Afro-Caribbean music, combining all this with the unbreakable telluric force of rock.

Ian Berry with Roberto Marquez

Ian Berry was honoured with meeting Roberto with and was able to talk for a long time with him about the band and his music and was keen to hear his reaction to the portrait, his wives favourite picture.

Artist Profile | ANA TIJOUX

ANA TIJOUX

(1977, LILLE - FRANCE)

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Anamaría Tijoux Merino, better known as Ana Tijoux or Anita Tijoux (French pronunciation: [ti'ʒu]), is a Chilean-French singer, musician, rapper, lyricist and composer. She gained recognition in Latin America as the female MC of the hip-hop group Makiza during the late 1990s, spreading her success following her second solo album, “1977”. Her music speaks to the tune of hip hop, fused.

Feminist and activist. In her lyrics, she denounces social and cultural shortcomings and positions herself in favor of women's rights and against gender violence. In 2014, the song "Antipatriarca" stood out on his album “Vengo”. He has worked in various countries in Latin America, Europe and the United States. She has been cataloged by various media as the "best and best known rapper in Spanish." She has been nominated on several occasions for the Grammy Awards. She lives in Chile and France.

She was born on June 12, 1977 in the French city of Lille, the daughter of sociologist María Emilia Tijoux and Roberto Merino Jorquera, two Chileans exiled from the military dictatorship after the coup d'etat of September 11, 1973 in that country. In 1982 her family moved to Paris for work issues, living in the neighborhoods of Belleville and Saint Maurice. 7 It would not be until 1983 when she knew Chile on a trip that she and her family made to visit her grandparents.

In 1988 she began to delve into hip hop, initially as a dancer. After the return to democracy in Chile, she returned to that country to settle there permanently in 1993.

In 1997 he began to form part of the Chilean rap band Makiza, known for spreading socially committed lyrics and praised for the dynamics of its production. The following year the band released its first album, “Vida Salvaje”, with great success. In 1999 they would launch “Aerolíneas Makiza”. An album that talks about taboo subjects such as life in exile, being a mother at an early age, etc.

ANA TIJOUX by Ian Berry

In 2004 Makiza met again, they remastered their first work "Vida Salvaje" and in 2005 they would release heir third and last album “Casino Royale”. He would also contribute with his voice to "Nea", vocalist of the animated series Pulentos broadcast by Channel 13. In 2006 she definitively distanced herself from Makiza and began his solo career, due to personal differences between the members of the band.

Her first solo album, entitled “Kaos”, produced by Nicolás Carrasco (Foex) of the Potoco Discos label, would be released in 2007, with his first single "Despabílate!". In this album he fuses funk, soul and other black rhythms, giving himself the freedom to compose sad, happy, dynamic and melodic songs with the desire to show a whole range of emotions. In June 2009, Anita made her first tour of Mexico, performing at the "Vive Latino" Festival on the 28th of that month, and then making several presentations in the Aztec capital.

With her album “1977” (2009), Ana Tijoux showed her skills through sophisticated rhythms and lyrics, wrapped in a voice with a touch of jazz. The album, named for his year of birth, paints a picture of his childhood in France and pays homage to the Chilean hip hop that inspired him in the early '90s. That same year the leader of Radiohead, Thom Yorke, recommended that his followers listen to the artist's song "1977", which increased the popularity of Tijoux in Europe. In addition, that song set the music for a scene from the fifth chapter of the fourth season of the popular “Breaking Bad” series and in the EA Sports FIFA 11 game.

In 2010 she toured the United States, and was also nominated for a Grammy. During 2011, MTV Iggy Pop highlighted her among the 12 best MCs worldwide, occupying the first place in this ranking, highlighting her latest album 1977. With “La bala” (2011), released under the Oveja Negra label, she undertook a march that pushes the limits with a style that alters and reorganizes the references of hip hop to convey a state of mind full of strength and that stands out for a sound full of contrasts in the brilliant triad of the songs «La bala», «Shock» and "Desclasificado", going through the humor and the programming of "Las cosas por su nombre", to the soul of "Mi medio y Volver". That same year, together with MC Lagarto, they played in various gigs in schools within the framework of the student mobilization in Chile in 2011.

Both in her record work Ana Tijoux and in her public statements, Tijoux has committed herself to defending women's rights and has denounced gender violence and inequality. Also the inequality faced by artists in the world of cinema, or singers.

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Considered one of the main MCs in Latin America, Ana Tijoux has been nominated for the MTV Video Music Awards Latin America as "Best New Artist" and "Best Urban Artist", and became the second Chilean artist to be nominated for the Grammy Awards. from the United States reaching four nominations, becoming the Chilean with the most nominations for these awards: in 2011, she was nominated for the Grammy Awards with “1977” in the category “Best Latin/Urban/Alternative Rock Album”, which would be repeated in 2013 for “La Bala” and in 2015 with “Vengo” in the “Best Latin/Urban/Alternative Rock Album” category. Likewise, at the Latin Grammy Awards, she has been nominated with “La Bala” for “Best Urban Music Album” (2012) and with “Sacar la voz” (2013).

In 2014, she won a Latin Grammy Award with "Universos Paralelos" together with the uruguayan artist Jorge Drexler in the "Song of the Year" category and, in 2014, she was nominated with "Vengo" in the "Best Urban Song" category. In 2015, with his album "Vengo", he won four awards at the Pulsar Chilean Music Awards: Album of the Year, Song of the Year for "Vengo", Artist of the Year and Best Urban Music Artist.

Artist Profile | JORGE GONZÁLEZ

JORGE GONZÁLEZ

(1964, SAN MIGUEL, SANTIAGO - CHILE)

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The first portrait unveiled of the three made by Ian Berry to celebrate the trio of Chilean iconic artists is one of the most important and influential musicians in Chile and Latin America - Jorge Humberto González Ríos.

González is the former leader of the rock band Los Priosioneros, a popular group from the 1980s, which he joined with Miguel Tapia (drums) and Claudio Narea (guitar). The group, known for its songs of a political nature and in opposition to the military leadership of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990), released six studio albums.

His first LP, "La voz de los 80" (1984) is one of his most important albums of his entire career. From there come songs like "La voz de los ‘80” (The voice of the 80s), "Latinoamérica es un pueblo al sur de Estados Unidos” (Latin America is a town in the south of the United States), “Sexo” (Sex), "Paramar", “¿Quién mató a Marilyn?” (Who killed Marilyn), among others.

Later, they released other albums: "Pateando piedras" (1986), "La cultura de la basura"(1987) and "Corazones” (1990). Claudio Narea left the group when Los Prisioneros released "Corazones", considered in 2008 one of the most important albums of Chilean music, with strong electronic influences and romantic lyrics, according the chilean edition of Rolling Stone Magazine.

After the first dissolution of Los Prisioneros, in 1991, González unfolded his varied musical interests in a solo career on equally diverse stations, including the kind and spiritual pop of his solo debut in “Jorge González” (1993), the experimentation of “El futuro se fue” (1994) and a position of renewed acidity in “Mi destino. Confesiones de una estrella de rock” (1999).

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His interest in techno sound and several years of residence in New York (where he studied Sound) during the nineties, brought him closer to outstanding exponents of electronic music, the result of which collaborations with the prestigious German musician Uwe Schmidt (Señor Coconut), the Chilean-German group Sieg Über Die Sonne and the Chilean Vicente Sanfuentes (Original Hamster), as well as the duo Gonzalo Martínez, formed together with Martín Schopf (Dandy Jack)

photo by Debbie Bragg

 The troubled reunion of Los Prisioneros between 2001 and 2006 left González convinced of the virtues of solo work, which he has continued to carry out through projects such as Los Updates.

In February 2015, Jorge González suffered a cerebrovascular accident that left him with motor sequelae. The musician lives in San Miguel district of Santiago, where he resides with his brother and rarely gives interviews, although he always gives an opinion on political and social events in the country.

photo by Debbie Bragg

Ian Berry had the great pleasure of visiting Jorge at his home and talking bout the portrait, his life, music and even football. Ian Berry was humbled to meet one of Chile’s great icon’s and cherishes the beer drank together.

BLUE JEANS | Museum show in Osnabruek, Germany

EXHIBITION IN THE CULTURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

APRIL 10 – JULY 10, 2022

Admission to the exhibition is free on the opening day.

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Ian Berry will take part in a new exhibition with The Museumsquartier Osnabrück in Germany where he will show two installations, his Secret Garden made from many parts of denim and jeans and the project Denim Legends that continues to ask the question, who is your denim legend?

Blue jeans have stood for a lifestyle of freedom and unconventional nonchalance for more than 150 years. The cliché of the unbound cowboy lives on just as much as the legend of the revolutionary trousers of the 1968s. But this piece of clothing is now associated with more than cult and nostalgia. Social stories of divided Germany, the 1968 protest movement, women's emancipation, gender stereotypes or the gay movement can be told on it. Well-known artists have integrated blue jeans into their art, taken up their symbolic power, exaggerated it or critically questioned it. Others have provided designs for the jeans advertisement. Fashion history, advertising strategies and artistic positions can thus be illustrated using the development of blue jeans.

The Museumsquartier Osnabrück is dedicating a multifaceted exhibition to this cultural-historical phenomenon, in which works by famous artists such as Joseph Beuys, VALIE EXPORT, Wang Bing, Ian Berry and others show blue jeans in art and deal with topics such as identity, cult objects or production. In combination with photographs, film and music, with newspaper articles and magazines, with original jeans and design pieces, the exhibition delves into the legends and stories surrounding blue jeans, revealing their complexity and reflecting on the role they play in creating identity.

Ian Berry will show a new installation of Secret Garden in Blue Jeans at The Museumsquartier Osnabrück

With the rise of blue jeans from worker pants to ubiquitous clothing, the downside of a mass-produced item also comes into play: mass production and its consequences for people and the environment. The production of blue jeans is considered one of the most harmful in the textile industry. For several years, environmentally conscious producers have been looking for sustainable alternatives, both in the use of raw materials and in the after-treatment of the trousers. In the winter semester 2021/2022, students at the University of Osnabrück researched the downsides, sustainability seals, innovations and possibilities for reuse. They summarize their results for the exhibition section "Production and Sustainability" and make the topic accessible with exhibits and participatory elements.

In the extensive supporting program for the exhibition, you can design your own jeans creations in upcycling workshops or find alternatives to the throwaway mentality in jeans exchange markets.

Questions of shaping the future, resource consumption and sustainability, individuality and conformity can be discussed in the diverse educational program.

Here Ninke Bloemberg (Fashion Curator, Centraal Museum, Utrecht) uses the example of the Old Masters to explain why Levi Strauss did not invent blue jeans. Ruedi Karrer, director of the world's only brand-independent jeans museum in Zurich, uses a few showpieces from his jeans collection to illustrate what makes a true blue jeans fan, why blue jeans should not be washed and how counterfeits can be recognized. Carl Tillessen (trend analyst, author, designer and lecturer) talks about blue jeans as a perennial favorite in fashion and Thomas Rau (architect & visionary) about his groundbreaking concepts for sustainability and circular economy. Uwe Gansfort (Managing Director of C&A "Factory for Innovation in Textiles", in short: FIT) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maike Rabe (Head of the Research Institute for Textiles and Clothing, Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences) discuss a pilot project that would like to bring blue jeans production back to the old textile location in Mönchengladbach after decades.

The exhibition “BLUE JEANS – Cult. commercial Art.” is a cooperation with the Department of Textile Design of the Department of Cultural and Social Sciences at the University of Osnabrück and the Museums- und Kunstverein Osnabrück e. V

The exhibition is sponsored by the Lower Saxony Foundation, the Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung and the Stiftung der Sparkasse Osnabrück.

The educational program is supported by the Felicitas and Werner Egerland Foundation.

Ian Berry will also show the installation ‘Denim Legends’ as part of the BLUE Jeans exhibition.

Participating artists are Ian Berry, Joseph Beuys, Thorsten Brinkmann, Hans Eijkelboom, Elmgreen & Dragset, VALIE EXPORT, Axel Lieber, Meister der Blue Jeans, Ulrike Rosenbach, Karlheinz Weinberger and Wang Bing.

APPENDIX

DETAILED EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION

The exhibition begins with a historical painting by an artist whose name is still unknown. The genre painter was active in northern Italy from around 1675 to 1700. A constant in his work is the depiction of an indigo blue fabric in his characters' clothing, which is very reminiscent of modern blue jeans and gave the unknown artist his makeshift name "Master of Blue Jeans". It is surprising to find denim fabric as early as the 17th century, since it is commonly associated with Levi Strauss, who patented jeans with rivet-reinforced seams in the 19th century. He quickly realized that the Californian gold diggers needed durable trousers and brought them to the working man. The sculpture “American Sculpture (Jeans)” by the sculptor Axel Lieber refers to blue jeans as one of the main symbols of the “American way of life”.

In the course of cultural and economic Americanization, blue jeans also became popular in Europe after the war. Following cinematic role models such as James Dean, Marlon Brando and Elvis Presley, in the 1950s they acquired a dubious reputation as part of the outfit of so-called 'hooligans': young males from the working-class milieu who wore jeans with black leather jackets and white T-shirts hair styled with lots of pomade in 'lard curls' or 'ducktails'. By the end of the 1950s, their provocative behavior caused a stir in post-war society, which was striving for stability and prosperity. The Swiss Karlheinz Weinberger photographed the “Jeans” series between 1955 and 1964, in which he documented the enthusiasm of the so-called hooligans for James Dean and Elvis Presley, for jeans and rock 'n' roll.

From the mid-1960s, blue jeans became a symbol of social protest, revolutionism and alternative lifestyles of a young generation who rebelled in their own social environment against what they experienced as a restrictive social climate and an encrusted bourgeois value system.

Artists of the time used this symbolic power: Joseph Beuys, in addition to his waistcoat and hat, made jeans his artistic uniform and titled a poster showing him in this outfit “La Rivoluzione siamo Noi” (“We are the revolution”). In their performances and self-staging, feminist artists of the 1960s and 70s consciously dressed themselves in materials with masculine connotations, such as jeans and leather jackets. In 1969, for example, the Austrian artist VALIE EXPORT radically took control of the male gaze into her own hands with her performance “Action Pants: Genital Panic”: With jeans, a large triangle had been cut out of the crotch and the shame was displayed naked, urged VALIE EXPORT through the narrow rows of a cinema. In her work “Art Is a Criminal Action”, Ulrike Rosenbach takes possession of male forms of domination, which are reflected in posture and clothing.

During the Cold War, blue jeans became a political issue. As an export product of imperialism, it was a thorn in the side of the GDR government and was considered a threat to the system. Accordingly, wearing jeans became a statement: "Jeans are an attitude and not trousers," Edgar Wibeau, the protagonist in Ulrich Plenzdorf's drama "The New Sorrows of Young W." 1972 announced and spoke from the heart of the young people of the GDR. In the mid-1970s - the attitude of the SED towards jeans had meanwhile become more moderate - the textile companies in the GDR started their own jeans production. "Wisent", "Boxer" or "Shanty" were the names of the brands that came onto the market from 1978.

However, they could not replace the desire for “real” jeans, which one had from western relatives or bought on the black market. Around 1987, every young person in the GDR had an average of two pairs of jeans in their closet, which exceeded the statistical value in Western Europe.

At the beginning of the 1970s, queer people, driven by protest movements such as the Gay Liberation Movement, began to increasingly question their social status and the ideas and images associated with it. The striving for change during this time was not only associated with political demands, but also expressed itself for many in the desire to redefine their own appearance and, above all, to be self-determined. In this context, the group of so-called “clones” stood out in particular: homosexual and bisexual men looking for inspiration for a new self-image from concepts of masculinity that are deeply rooted in American culture, such as those of cowboys, lumberjacks or construction workers and, in addition to short haircuts and mustaches, primarily adapted blue jeans as a male garment.

In this context, the Scandinavian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset question patterns of perception and behavior with the sculpture "Powerless Structures, Fig. 19" by initiating indications of a situation that may have taken place and thus setting individual thought chains in motion in the viewer.

The hip-hop scene in the 1990s created its identity with the baggy pants: particularly wide pants, the waistband of which was usually worn well below the hips. These denim pants are said to date back to a practice in US prisons where new prisoners were first stripped of their belts to prevent strangulation or beatings. Outside of prison, this style of carry made its way into the culture of gangsta rap. Later, the fashion became popular in the skateboarding and snowboarding scene.

Blue jeans also make statements in politics: Joschka Fischer broke taboos when he was sworn in as Environment Minister in jeans and white sneakers on December 12, 1985. Recently, in 2016, the Süddeutsche Zeitung accused the former Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche, who appeared in jeans at a party conference of the Greens in 2016, of being a sheep in wolf's clothing. He should come in a suit and tie, so that you know who you are dealing with.

In “Denim Legends”, the artist Ian Berry portrays people who helped pave the way for blue jeans to become a universally worn item of clothing today. He creates his fascinating works of art solely from denim. The artist cuts up blue jeans pants, jackets and shirts, layers them and arranges the different shades of blue into paintings and installations. His "Secret Garden", which recurs at various exhibition locations, is created from floral forms that are made entirely of recycled denim. This creates spaces teeming with indigo blue plants of different shades.

With photographs by the conceptual artist Hans Eijkelboom, the exhibition looks at people in the 21st century. For 25 years, Hans Eijkelboom has roamed the shopping streets of countless cities around the world, capturing in photographs the diversity of clothing that is such a defining feature of global capitalism—that plethora of visual (“external”) differences that, from an artist’s perspective, , interested in the recognition of patterns, i.e. repetitions, becomes a document of fascinating sameness.

The artist Thorsten Brinkmann seems to use blue jeans in the function of a 'uniform' of interchangeability. All that can be seen of the life-size figure “Brinkmann” are the blue jeans-clad legs and the Adidas sneakers. The torso is hidden under a cardboard box. In all of his self-portraits, Brinkmann is always masked and disguised beyond recognition. His photographs can be understood as a corruption of classic portrait painting, which also sabotage icons. He shows himself in the work with jeans and trainers in order not to be really visible.

Ever since blue jeans became a mass-produced article in the 1980s, their production has been considered one of the most harmful in the textile industry - because of the large amount of water that is used in the production of the raw material cotton, because of the many chemicals that are used during production are used and then end up in the environment, and because of the often inhumane working conditions in the low-wage countries from which most blue jeans come today. Above all, the treatment of the fabric, which is supposed to give the blue jeans a used look, is the subject of criticism.

Not only the students of the University of Osnabrück look at the dark sides as well as sustainability seals, innovations and possibilities of reuse in the exhibition. Wang Bing, one of the most influential contemporary Chinese filmmakers, documents in the film "15 Hours" the length of a day shift of seamstresses at the Huzhou Garment Factory in a single film shot: 15 hours.

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Before visiting, please inform yourself about the currently applicable hygiene rules via our website, by telephone on 0541/323-2237 or by e-mail Willkommen-mq4@osnabrueck.de.

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German

BLUE JEANS

AUSSTELLUNG IM KULTURGESCHICHTLICHEN MUSEUM
10. APRIL – 10. JULI 2022

Der Eintritt zur Ausstellung ist am Eröffnungstag frei.
Bitte informieren Sie sich vor dem Besuch über unsere Internetseite, telefonisch unter 0541/323-2237 oder per E-Mail willkommen-mq4@osnabrueck.de über die aktuell geltenden Hygieneregeln.

Blue Jeans stehen seit mehr als 150 Jahren für ein Lebensgefühl von Freiheit und unkonventioneller Lässigkeit. Das Klischee vom ungebundenen Cowboy lebt noch genauso nach wie die Legende von der Revoluzzerhose der 68’er. Aber mit diesem Kleidungsstück verbindet sich inzwischen mehr als Kult und Nostalgie. An ihm lassen sich gesellschaftliche Geschichten des zweigeteilten Deutschlands, der 68er-Protestbewegung, der Frauenemanzipation, der Geschlechterstereotypen oder der Schwulenbewegung erzählen. Namhafte Künstler:innen haben die Blue Jeans in ihre Kunst integriert, haben deren Symbolkraft aufgegriffen, überspitzt dargestellt oder kritisch hinterfragt. Andere haben Entwürfe für die Jeanswerbung geliefert. Modegeschichte, Werbestrategien und Kunstpositionen lassen sich somit am Werdegang der Blue Jeans veranschaulichen.

Das Museumsquartier Osnabrück widmet diesem kulturgeschichtlichen Phänomen eine facettenreiche Ausstellung, in der Werke berühmter Künstler:innen wie Joseph Beuys, VALIE EXPORT, Wang Bing, Ian Berry u. w. die Blue Jeans in der Kunst zeigen und Themen wie Identität, Kultobjekte oder Produktion behandeln. In Kombination mit Fotografien, Film und Musik, mit Zeitungsartikeln und Zeitschriften, mit Jeans-Originalen und Designstücken taucht die Ausstellung in die Legenden und Geschichten rund um die Blue Jeans ein, lässt ihre Vielschichtigkeit erkennen sowie ihre identitätsstiftende Rolle reflektieren.

Mit der Karriere der Blue Jeans von der Arbeiterhose zum allgegenwärtigen Kleidungsstück kommen auch die Schattenseiten eines Massenartikels zum Tragen: die Massenproduktion und ihre Folgen für Mensch und Umwelt. Die Produktion der Blue Jeans gilt als eine der schädlichsten in der Textilindustrie. Seit einigen Jahren suchen umweltbewusste Produzenten nach nachhaltigen Alternativen, sowohl beim Einsatz von Rohstoffen als auch bei der Nachbehandlung der Hosen. Studierende der Universität Osnabrück haben im Wintersemester 2021/2022 die Schattenseiten, Nachhaltigkeitssiegel, Innovationen und Möglichkeiten der Wiederverwendung recherchiert. Ihre Ergebnisse fassen sie für den Ausstellungsteil „Produktion und Nachhaltigkeit“ zusammen und machen das Thema mit Exponaten und partizipativen Elementen zugänglich.

Im umfangreichen Rahmenprogramm zur Ausstellung können in Upcycling-Workshops eigene Jeanskreationen entworfen oder in Jeans-Tausch-Börsen Alternativen zur Wegwerfmentalität wahrgenommen werden.

Fragen der Zukunftsgestaltung zu Ressourcenverbrauch und Nachhaltigkeit, zu Individualität und Konformität können in dem vielfältigen Vermittlungsprogramm diskutiert werden.

Hierin erklärt Ninke Bloemberg (Fashion Curator, Centraal Museum, Utrecht) am Beispiel Alter Meister, warum Levi Strauss die Blue Jeans nicht erfunden hat. Ruedi Karrer, Direktor des weltweit einzigen, markenunabhängigen Jeansmuseums in Zürich illustriert mit Hilfe einiger Prunkstücke seiner Jeans-Kollektion, was einen echten Blue Jeans-Fan ausmacht, warum Blue Jeans nicht gewaschen werden sollten und woran Plagiate zu erkennen sind. Carl Tillessen (Trendanalyst, Autor, Designer und Dozent) spricht über die Blue Jeans als Dauerbrenner in der Mode und Thomas Rau (Architekt & Visionär) über seine bahnbrechenden Konzepte für Nachhaltigkeit und zirkulaire Ökonomie. Uwe Gansfort (Geschäftsführer der C&A „Factory for Innovation in Textiles“, kurz: FIT) und Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Maike Rabe (Leiterin des Forschungsinstituts für Textil und Bekleidung, Hochschule Niederrhein) diskutieren über ein Pilot-Projekt, dass die Blue Jeans-Produktion nach Jahrzehnten wieder an den alten Textilstandort Mönchengladbach zurückholen möchte.

Die Ausstellung „BLUE JEANS – Kult. Kommerz. Kunst.“ ist eine Kooperation mit dem Fachgebiet Textiles Gestalten des Fachbereichs Kultur- und Sozialwissenschaften der Universität Osnabrück und dem Museums- und Kunstverein Osnabrück e. V.

Die Ausstellung wird gefördert von der Stiftung Niedersachsen, der Niedersächsischen Sparkassenstiftung und der Stiftung der Sparkasse Osnabrück.

Das Vermittlungsprogramm wird unterstützt durch die Felicitas und Werner Egerland Stiftung.

Beteiligte Künstler:innen sind Ian Berry, Joseph Beuys, Thorsten Brinkmann, Hans Eijkelboom, Elmgreen & Dragset, VALIE EXPORT, Axel Lieber, Meister der Blue Jeans, Ulrike Rosenbach, Karlheinz Weinberger und Wang Bing.

APPENDIX

DETAILLIERTE AUSSTELLUNGSBESCHREIBUNG

Die Ausstellung beginnt mit einem historischen Gemälde eines bis heute namentlich unbekannten Künstlers. Der Genre-Maler war von ungefähr 1675 bis 1700 in Norditalien tätig. Eine Konstante in seinem Werk ist die Abbildung eines indigoblauen Gewebes in der Kleidung seiner Figuren, welches sehr an die modernen Blue Jeans erinnert und dem unbekannten Künstler seinen Behelfsnamen „Meister der Blue Jeans“ gab. Es überrascht, den Denim-Stoff schon im 17. Jahrhundert vorzufinden, wird er doch gemeinhin mit Levi Strauss zusammengebracht, der im 19. Jahrhundert die Jeans-Hose mit den durch Nieten verstärkten Nähten patentieren ließ. Dieser hatte schnell erkannt, dass die kalifornischen Goldgräber strapazierfähige Hosen benötigten, und brachte sie an den arbeitenden Mann. Auf die Blue Jeans als eines der tragenden Symbole für den „American Way of Life“ nimmt die Skulptur „American Sculpture (Jeans)“ des Bildhauers Axel Lieber Bezug.

Im Zuge der kulturellen und ökonomischen Amerikanisierung wurden die Blue Jeans nach dem Krieg auch in Europa populär. Nach filmischen Vorbildern wie James Dean, Marlon Brando oder Elvis Presley bekam sie in den 1950er Jahren einen zweifelhaften Ruf als Teil des Outfits sogenannter ‚Halbstarker’: männlicher Jugendlicher aus dem Arbeitermilieu, die die Jeans zu schwarzen Lederjacken und weißen T-Shirts trugen, dazu die Haare mit viel Pomade zu ‚Schmalzlocken’ oder ‚Entenschwänzen’ frisiert. Bis Ende der 50er sorgten sie mit provozierendem Verhalten für viel Aufregung in der nach Stabilität und Wohlstand strebenden Nachkriegsgesellschaft. Der Schweizer Karlheinz Weinberger fotografierte zwischen 1955 und 1964 die Serie „Jeans“, in welcher er die Begeisterung der sogenannten Halbstarken für James Dean und Elvis Presley, für Jeans und Rock 'n' Roll dokumentierte.

Ab Mitte der 1960er Jahren wurde die Blue Jeans zum Symbol für gesellschaftlichen Protest, Revoluzzertum und alternative Lebensstile einer jugendlichen Generation, die im eigenen sozialen Umfeld gegen ein als restriktiv erfahrenes gesellschaftliches Klima und ein verkrustetes bürgerliches Wertesystem rebellierte.

Künstler:innen der Zeit nutzten diese Symbolkraft: Joseph Beuys machte neben Weste und Hut die Jeans zu seiner Künstleruniform und betitelte ein Plakat, das ihn in dieser Montur zeigt, mit „La Rivoluzione siamo Noi“ („Die Revolution sind wir“). Feministische Künstlerinnen der 1960er und 70er Jahre bekleiden sich in ihren Performances und Selbstinszenierungen bewusst mit männlich konnotierten Materialien wie Jeans und Lederjacke. So nimmt die österreichische Künstlerin VALIE EXPORT 1969 auf radikale Weise mit ihrer Performance „Aktionshose: Genitalpanik“ die Steuerung des männlichen Blickes selbst in die Hand: Mit einer Jeanshose, aus deren Schritt ein großes Dreieck herausgeschnitten war und die Scham nackt zur Schau stellte, drängte VALIE EXPORT sich durch die engen Reihen eines Kinos. Ulrike Rosenbach bemächtigt sich in ihrer Arbeit „Art Is a Criminal Action“ männlicher Herrschaftsformen, die sich in Körperhaltung und Kleidung spiegeln.

Im Kalten Krieg wurde die Blue Jeans zum Politikum. So war sie der DDR-Regierung als Exportprodukt des Imperialismus ein Dorn im Auge und galt als systemgefährdend. Entsprechend wurde das Jeanstragen zum Statement: „Jeans sind eine Einstellung und keine Hose”, ließ Edgar Wibeau, der Protagonist in Ulrich Plenzdorfs Drama „Die neuen Leiden des jungen W.” 1972 verlauten und sprach den Jugendlichen der DDR aus dem Herzen. Mitte der 1970er-Jahre – die Haltung der SED gegenüber den Jeans war inzwischen moderater geworden – setzten die Textilbetriebe der DDR eine eigene Jeansproduktion in Gang. "Wisent", "Boxer" oder "Shanty" hießen die Marken, die ab 1978 auf den Markt kamen.

Den Wunsch nach der „echten“ Jeans konnten sie allerdings nicht ersetzen, die man sich von Westverwandten schicken ließ oder auf dem Schwarzmarkt kaufte. Um 1987 hatte jeder Jugendliche in der DDR durchschnittlich zwei Jeans im Schrank, was den statistischen Wert des Westen Europas übertraf.

Anfang der 70er Jahre begannen auch queere Menschen angetrieben von Protestbewegungen wie dem Gay Liberation Movement ihren sozialen Status und damit verknüpfte Vorstellungen und Bilder immer stärker zu hinterfragen. Das Streben nach Wandel war in dieser Zeit jedoch nicht nur mit politischen Forderungen verbunden, sondern äußerte sich für viele darüber hinaus in dem Wunsch, das eigene Erscheinungsbild neu und vor allem selbstbestimmt zu definieren. In diesem Kontext zeichnete sich besonders die Gruppe der sogenannten „Klone“ ab: Homo- und bisexuelle Männer, die bei tief in der US-amerikanischen Kultur verwurzelten Begriffen von Männlichkeit, wie denen des Cowboys, Holzfällers oder des Bauarbeiters nach Inspiration für ein neues Selbstbild suchten und neben Kurzhaarschnitt und Moustache in erster Linie die Blue Jeans als männlich gelesenes Kleidungsstück adaptierten.

Das skandinavische Künstlerduo Elmgreen & Dragset hinterfragt in diesem Kontext mit der Skulptur „Powerless Structures, Fig. 19“ Muster der Wahrnehmung und des Verhaltens, indem sie Indizien einer möglicherweise stattgefundenen Situation initiieren und somit individuelle Gedankenketten bei den Betrachter:innen in Gang setzen.

Die Hip-Hop-Szene in den 1990ern schuf ihr Identitätsmerkmal mit den Baggy Pants: besonders weiten Hosen, deren Bund meist weit unterhalb der Hüfte getragen wurde. Diese Jeanshosen sollen auf eine Praxis aus US-Gefängnissen zurückgehen, bei der neuen Gefangenen als erstes der Gürtel abgenommen wurde, um Strangulationen oder Schlägereien zu verhindern. Außerhalb der Gefängnisse zog diese Tragart in die Kultur des Gangsta-Rap ein. Später wurde die Mode in der Skateboarding- und Snowboard-Szene populär.

Auch in der Politik werden durch die Blue Jeans Statements gesetzt: Joschka Fischer brach Tabus, als er in Jeans und weißen Turnschuhen am 12.12.1985 seine Vereidigung zum Umweltminister antrat. Jüngst, 2016, warf die Süddeutsche Zeitung dem ehemaligen Daimler-Chef Dieter Zetsche, der 2016 auf einem Parteitag der Grünen in Jeans auftrat, vor, ein Schaf im Wolfspelz zu sein. Er solle gefälligst in Schlips und Anzug kommen, damit man wisse, mit wem man es zu tun habe.

Personen, die den Weg der Blue Jeans als ein heute universal getragenes Kleidungsstück mitbereitet haben, porträtiert der Künstler Ian Berry in „Denim Legends“. Seine faszinierenden Kunstwerke erschafft er einzig und allein aus dem Material Denim. Der Künstler zerschneidet Blue Jeans-Hosen, -Jacken und -Hemden, schichtet sie und arrangiert die unterschiedlichen Blauschattierungen zu Gemälden und Installationen. Sein an verschiedenen Ausstellungsorten immer wiederkehrender "Secret Garden" entsteht aus floralen Formen, die vollständig aus recyceltem Jeansstoff gefertigt sind. So entstehen Räume, in denen es von indigoblauen Pflanzen in verschiedenen Farbtönen wimmelt.

Mit Fotografien des Konzeptkünstlers Hans Eijkelboom blickt die Ausstellung auf die Menschen des 21. Jahrhunderts. Seit 25 Jahren durchstreift Hans Eijkelboom die Einkaufsmeilen unzähliger Städte auf der ganzen Welt, um die Vielfalt an Bekleidungen fotografisch festzuhalten, die ein so entscheidendes Merkmal des globalen Kapitalismus ist – jene Fülle an visuellen („äußerlichen“) Unterschieden, die aus der Perspektive eines Künstlers, der an der Erkennung von Mustern, also Wiederholungen, interessiert ist, zu einem Dokument faszinierender Gleichheit wird.

In der Funktion einer ‚Uniform‘ der Austauschbarkeit scheint der Künstler Thorsten Brinkmann die Blue Jeans zu verwenden. Von der lebensgroßen Figur „Brinkmann“ sind nur die in Blue Jeans gekleideten Beine und die Adidas-Turnschuhe zu sehen. Der Oberkörper ist unter einem Pappkarton versteckt. Auf all seinen Selbstportraits ist Brinkmann stets bis zur Unkenntlichkeit maskiert und verkleidet. Seine Fotografien kann man als Verballhornung klassischer Portraitmalerei begreifen, die auch Ikonen sabotieren. Mit Jeans und Turnschuhen zeigt er sich im Werk, um letztlich nicht wirklich sichtbar zu sein.

Seitdem die Blue Jeans in den 1980er Jahren zum Massenartikel geworden ist, gilt ihre Produktion als eine der schädlichsten in der Textilindustrie – wegen der großen Menge Wasser, die es bei der Herstellung des Rohstoffs Baumwolle braucht, wegen der vielen Chemikalien, die bei der Produktion zum Einsatz kommen und danach in die Umwelt gelangen, und wegen der oft menschenunwürdigen Arbeitsbedingungen in den Niedriglohnländern, aus denen die meisten Blue Jeans heute kommen. Vor allem die Stoffbehandlung, die den Blue Jeans ein gebrauchtes Aussehen verleihen soll, steht in der Kritik.

Nicht nur die Studierenden der Universität Osnabrück betrachten in der Ausstellung die Schattenseiten sowie Nachhaltigkeitssiegel, Innovationen und Möglichkeiten der Wiederverwendung. Wang Bing, einer der einflussreichsten chinesischen Filmemacher der Gegenwart, dokumentiert in dem Film „15 Hours“ die Länge einer Tagesschicht von Näher:innen der Bekleidungsfabrik Huzhou in einer einzigen Filmeinstellung: 15 Stunden.