[Les Conversations]
From the workshop to the stage: the making of a monumental embroidered curtain
As part of a talk organised at la Galerie du 19M as part of the Samedis du 19M series, this new Conversation takes us on a journey into the fascinating intersection of contemporary art and traditional craftsmanship through a one-of-a-kind project: Le Rideau de Maholo. This monumental work, over 25 metres long and 5 metres high, conceived by visual artist Xavier Veilhan and the artistic director of Atelier Montex, Aska Yamashita, brilliantly illustrates the power of collaboration, shared creation, and innovation in the fields of embroidery and textiles.
This Conversation takes us to the heart of the curtain’s creation, from its Japanese inspiration to its technical construction, revealing how an idea, a design, and thousands of organza discs can be transformed into a living masterpiece. Xavier Veilhan and Aska Yamashita share their perspectives on the creative process, their artistic choices, and the challenges of a work that combines tradition and modernity, rigour and freedom, precision and movement.
A podcast produced by Géraldine Sarratia alongside the exhibition Beyond our Horizons: from Tokyo to Paris at la Galerie du 19M.
About
Xavier Veilhan
Born in 1963, Xavier Veilhan is based in Paris. Since the late 1980s, he has presented works at the intersection of classicism, modernity, and cutting-edge technology, in a multifaceted practice that encompasses sculpture, painting, installations, and video art.
A leading contemporary French artist, Xavier Veilhan frequently collaborates with artists from many different fields, including architecture, music, and fashion. In 2022 and 2023, he created the visual worlds for three CHANEL haute couture fashion shows. Xavier Veilhan’s works have been exhibited in museums including the Louvre and the Centre Pompidou.
Aska Yamashita
Artistic Director of Atelier Montex
Aska Yamashita began her career as a draughtswoman. At the age of 19, she joined Atelier Montex, where her role has evolved over the years. Initially in charge of the design studio, she became artistic coordinator before finally taking the artistic direction helm in 2017. At Atelier Montex, Aska Yamashita fosters a spirit of exploration where creation emerges as much from drawing as from materials, from design as from craftsmanship.
Her vision of embroidery is that of a constantly evolving craft, a discipline rooted in tradition yet looking to the future. Fuelled by technological advances, she is constantly reinventing this age-old craft, expanding the creative possibilities whilst ensuring its essence is preserved. Committed to opening up embroidery to new fields of expression, she develops technical combinations and fosters creative collaborations across worlds as diverse as haute cuisine, jewellery, the performing arts, and technology.