NGV has officially opened the inaugural MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission, with the first installation created by Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao.
The installation explores the concept of clothing as a symbol of protection, and the associated practices of domestic labour, gender and community. The work, dubbed La ropa sucia se lava en casa (Dirty clothes are washed at home), explores the idea of clothes being a form of armour for the body and the associated labour of caring for garments as an act of self-care.
A basin-like structure channels the Lavadero of Huichapan, an 18th century communal laundry located in Huichapan, Hidalgo in Mexico. The lavadero was built for the local community to access the natural spring water, with its implementation into the artwork representing a bygone practice of laundering clothing in public spaces and the social bonds formed between community members as a result.
Symbolising the age-old and cross-cultural practice of washing clothes, the installation is draped with large patchwork quilts, from textiles and clothing donated from people in Berlin, Mexico City and Melbourne, who participated in workshops delivered by Tatiana Bilbao Estudio.
Mixed-media collages depict communal laundries and washhouses from around the world and throughout history, creating a collective memory of the diverse social interactions that laundry spaces have enabled in societies. The commission is a physical expression of Bilbao’s aim to free architecture from the conventions of the 20th century and to propose a new trajectory that is focused on community, sustainability and ethics.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful to have been chosen for the Women in Design Commission by the NGV and MECCA. The Commission is contributing, in many ways, to advance the discourse of the importance of opening channels for people who have been left out of opportunities,” Bilbao says.
Bilbao founded Tatiana Bilbao Estudio in Mexico City in 2004 with the aim of conducting architectural design work from a position of social and ecological responsibility. Her work is known for challenging historical conventions, often rearticulating spaces so that they are more people-oriented and inclusive.
The MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission is a five-year series that invites an international female designer or architect to create significant work for the NGV Collection. The Commission’s aim is to provide an annual platform for the presentation of topical, world-premiere works that amplify the contribution of female designers and architects in shaping our world. A significant contribution from MECCA’s social change arm, M-POWER, enables the Commission to go ahead.
“The ongoing Women in Design Commission will highlight the groundbreaking work of women in this field from Australia and around the world, as well as strengthening the NGV Collection for future generations,” says NGV Director, Tony Ellwood AM.
“We are grateful to MECCA for their visionary support of this Australian-first initiative and commend their continued mission to elevate and empower women in the creative industries.
“Tatiana Bilbao’s is a compelling voice from outside of the traditional canon of architecture, offering a unique perspective on both its history and its future. A woman from North America, an advocate, and a spokesperson for change, Bilbao creates work that is as intellectually rigorous as it is visually dynamic.”
The 2022 MECCA x NGV Women in Design Commission: Tatiana Bilbao is now on display until 29 January 2023 at the NGV International. For more information, click here.
