Do you have old, used, or unwanted clothes sitting in your closet?
We invite you to bring them to the re-(t)exHile workshop and give a second chance for reuse.
As part of our re-(t)exHile project, we are crafting a large-scale textile installation made entirely from old, used, and unwanted clothes. This art piece symbolizes the complex journey of garments—both their physical journey across borders and their deeper significance as carriers of personal and cultural stories.
About re-(t)exHile
Our project, re-(t)exHile, is a research-driven art initiative that confronts the fast fashion crisis and its devastating effects on the Global South. Every year, millions of tons of clothing are produced, consumed, and quickly discarded, contributing to the cycle of textile waste that often ends up in landfills and deserts, particularly in countries of the Global South. These garments, sent under the guise of "second-hand clothing," often do more harm than good, polluting environments and harming communities.
Through re-(t)exHile, we reflect on these exploitative models and question the colonial legacy embedded in the global second-hand clothing trade. We want to give these discarded textiles a voice—transforming them into art, and in the process, sparking conversations around sustainability, consumption, and the urgent need for change.
About the Textile Piece
The installation is a dynamic and evolving work, where each piece of clothing contributes to the creation of a minimal yet symbolic structure—a refuge. This refuge is crafted by sewing together hundreds of garments into a massive patchwork that takes on different forms depending on its context. The piece is ever-changing, mirroring the shifting nature of identity, borders, and belonging.
Each garment sewn into the installation adds to the narrative. By layering fabrics, colours, and textures, the installation reflects the diversity of origins, stories, and lives tied to these textiles. The work grows organically as we continue to collect and sew clothes, symbolizing collective effort and the idea of transformation through collaboration.
Get Involved!
Bring us your clothes and join us in crafting a collective textile piece. Together, we can create a piece that speaks not only to the problem but also to the potential for change. Let’s transform waste into art—and make a difference, one stitch at a time.