Under the motto “We bring art to the countryside”, the art association “Bahner e. V.” invites you to the annual Neuchâtel Art Week, which is all about the creative exploration of changing themes.
For one week in summer, Neuenburg in the Frisian municipality of Zetel becomes a stronghold of creative art. Selected artists from all over the world come to Neuenburg to create their very own art on annually changing themes. Always very close to the local population – and sometimes even together with them – the symposium brings art to the countryside. Part of the concept of the art symposium is that a different material or area of art forms the theme of the event week each year. The Neuchâtel Art Week will be held for the 43rd time in 2026 and this year will focus on the diverse uses of textiles and cloth as an artistic material and theme.
Textiles in various forms are among the oldest artifacts that have been produced since the dawn of mankind. The symposium aims to emphasize the versatility of textiles, cloth and fabric as an art material and to introduce interested people and students to this art form and the creative processes of an artist symposium. Textile art is not seen as a mere craft, but as an independent art form that blurs the boundaries between fine art and applied art.
Artists should use textiles for sculptures, installations and paintings, for example, using techniques such as weaving, embroidery, knitting or crocheting. Textile art today goes far beyond purely aesthetic aspects and often relates to social issues such as consumption, production, being human and identity. The spectrum encompasses all social phenomena. During the art week, the artists emphasize the characteristics of the material and the artistic work in order to convey the meaning of the work. In addition to classic techniques such as weaving, modern methods can also be used to create three-dimensional objects, sculptures, paintings, mixed media or installations.
The use of everyday textiles, worn clothing, patterns or historical fabrics from the municipality of Zetel and the surrounding area could create a link to personal and collective history. Many works could address social and political aspects such as consumer behavior, the environment or socio-cultural structures. Textile art is often placed in the context of painting and sculpture, for example by creating images on fabric or imitating the aesthetics of textiles in paintings.
The focus is on creating an artistic dialog between the participants (artists) and citizens and bringing art closer to textiles. While the artists create their works from textiles, the school classes will be involved in a creative process of working with textiles in daily art education sessions. The artists’ symposium is intended both to promote artistic exchange between sculptors and to inspire the general public for contemporary works of art and creative processes. The aim is to create an atmosphere in which artists create their work in a public, rural space and the public is integrated into the creative process by linking it to specific themes.
As one of the three key historical trades, textiles are also of particular importance to the municipality of Zetel. The population’s idealistic connection to this topic is due to the production of textile products on the Wurten in north-western Germany, which has been documented since prehistoric times. Until modern times, Zetel developed into a stronghold for textile production with an excellent reputation. Wool was initially processed on up to 541 hand looms in 1850. In the course of industrialization, three mechanical wool weaving mills were established in the town from 1871 as well as linen and other fabric processing companies and Zetel became a stronghold of textile processing. The “Zetel cloth” was soon exported and praised internationally and the woolen fabrics were highly sought after. Street and place names such as “Weberstraße”, “Alte Bleiche” and “Färberstraße” still bear witness today to the great historical importance of textile processing in the municipality of Zetel and the documentary reappraisal of this branch of Zetel’s history is accompanied by the Zetel local history association. The connection of the population with the topic is thus also guaranteed for the future and the Neuenburg Art Week will benefit from this. Today, the “Friesische Wollweberei” is once again a textile processing plant that uses historical equipment and machines to manufacture premium products from wool, but also opens its doors to anyone interested in the historical trade.
Application deadline: March 15, 2026