Brown lung, 2018. Cut and woven photographic print on vinyl, hemp.
CODE bild_ny
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maria.hedberg@umea.se
MAY 25 - OCTOBER 13 2019
Code
Mee-mawing was a secret language created by women working in the Lancashire cotton industries in the early 1900’s, where the noise from the machines drowned out all speech. Through miming, exaggerated gestures and lip reading the women could talk about work, daily life and have political discussions, all kept secret from the foremen. The language died out with Bessie Dickson, the last woman who could Mee-Maw.
In the exhibition Code, artist Kristina Müntzing takes images from the history of the textile industry, shreds them and weaves them into new patterns. The titles of her works come from The language of cotton, another language used in the cotton industry. It speaks of the working environment and work-related illnesses.
The exhibition is part of a long-term artistic research project where Müntzing investigates communication and secret languages in relation to the history of the textile industry and the rise of socialist movements.
"Mee-mawing was a secret language created by women working in the Lancashire cotton industries in the early 1900’s"