A Moth in the RoomA Moth in the Room

Cotton calico is a fabric that originated in India and has been commodified for centuries by various colonial powers. Its surface has been consistently subjected to reinterpretation, appropriation and erasure. In the Netherlands, calico emerged as a tool for Dutch extraction during colonial rule, serving as the surface for imitation batik, sold in colonial Indonesia.

Beyond the Calico Surface is a textile and wax installation that employs the deliberate act of obscuring to underscore this process of erasure within Dutch colonial history. Through covering and flattening the objects, the work disrupts and displaces the perpetuated power dynamic surrounding calico.

The installation questions repositories of collecting in the homes of Dutch elites in the Netherlands across the late 19th and 20th centuries. The manner in which objects were collected and displayed not only reflected the self-image of their collectors, but also actively influenced processes of (self)identification. By drawing parallels between these processes and the erasure of identity, the project prompts a reflection and interrogation of calico’s capacity to obscure and distort historical narratives and cultural heritage. It prompts a critical understanding of displacement and cultural identity; navigating the complexities of 'home' and belonging within a post-colonial context.

Josephine Goverts is a Dutch designer with a background in fashion design. She holds a bachelor's degree in Fashion Design from the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, NL. Her work uses textiles as a medium to rupture, reveal, and deconstruct histories through the body.