Miniartextil Como 2017 borderline

Miniartextil is an annual international exhibition of contemporary art showing the best in Textile Art, an art sector with a revolutionary approach to the textile heritage and its materials. (quote arte&arte)
The 27th edition of Miniartextil Como, the exhibition borderline was opened on October 7th in the former Church of San Francesco, Como.
Gertraud Enzinger, Austria wins the Arte&Arte Award for her work both sides now

Borderline is the theme of the 27th edition of Miniartextil Como, which was opened on October 7th, 2017 as in the years before in the beautiful and atmospheric venue, the former Church of San Francesco, Como.  Borderline being  a topic of great concern and relevance regarding the  situation of this border town, which was flooded with juvenile refugees from Africa in summer 2016.

The aim of the exhibition is to highlight and divulge fiber art as a means of artistic expression. The chosen theme for the 27th edition of Miniartextil is "borderline," which literally means, on the border, originates from the Latin term cum-finis - that which divides and at the same time unites, what is shared in common with the other, whatever the other may be, or, what it may represent.
The concept of border reminds us of the concept of otherness, but also that of a shared identity: a conceptually logical chain for the artist to consider in this current edition of Arte&Arte for Miniartextil in Como, Italy, a border city between Italy and Switzerland.
On one hand, humankind has been constructing useful borders from our beginning. On the other hand, the artificiality of borders, and on their potential deviation creates situations often seen in history and nowadays are easily verifiable, as in the slow and difficult processes of construction and unification of the European Union.
The word borderline is also widely used in psychiatry, indicating someone who suffers from unstable relationships and unstable emotions, resulting in instability. (quote arte&arte)

From 230 applications, 54 small format objects from 29 countries (Argentine, Brazil, China, Colombia, Corea, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA) were selected for the exhibition by curator Luciano Caramel,  Maria Ortega (WTA) and Andrea Taborelli, President of the Gruppo filiera tessile Como.

Of the selected small format works, Gertraud Enzinger, Austria  received the PREMIO Arte&Arte for her work  both sides now   for its formal and esthetic qualities.

In her work both sides now , quoting a song by Joni Mitchell, she emphasizes the parallel experiences of people from afar arriving at our borders and of those suffering from the borderline syndrome -  trying to balance between extremes, a world of antagonism and permanent inner inconsistency -  lacking and needing shelter, appreciation and consistency more than anything else.

I´ve looked at life from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
Its life`s illusions I recall
I really don`t know life at all

(From "both sides now", a song by Joni Mitchell)

Gertraud Enzinger already participated in Miniartextil Como before,

in the years 2016, 2010, 2006, 2004 and 2003.