Museum of Islamic Art features ‘Golden Spider Silk’ exhibition

Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) presents Golden Spider Silk , an exhibition that will take place until July 6th, 2024, at the temporary...

Doha, Qatar: The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) presents ‘Golden Spider Silk’, an exhibition that will take place until July 6th, 2024, at the temporary exhibition gallery, fourth floor, Museum of Islamic Art.

Spider silk creators Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley’s textiles are the result of over twenty years of experimentation with the material. In 2004, the duo embarked upon this grand project of producing and creating textiles made with spiders’ silk.

The ‘Golden Spider Silk’ exhibition will, for the first time, showcase all four finished textiles together, alongside historic manuscripts and folios documenting the process. This includes a magnificent embroidered cape, brocaded weave lamba (lamba akotifahana), sheer taffeta, and a satin weave shawl. These textiles are the only examples of golden spider silk in the world, and this is the first time that they will be on display in the Middle East. The exhibition will also feature a 15-minute video of Simon Peers discussing the history of golden spider silk.

Shaika Al Nassr, Director of the Museum of Islamic Art, said: “The Golden Spider Silk exhibition sets itself apart by embracing sustainability as their key approach and goes on to highlight the use of eco-friendly vegan silk in the production of its final exhibit pieces - a reflection of the sustainability theme within the Qatar National Vision 2030.”

Golden Spider Silk creator Simon Peers reflected on the fact that each textile tells a very contemporary story, a confluence of global cultural currents and eclectic borrowings. He added: “These are works made after careful consideration and reflection, and with skills acquired after much time and effort. Ultimately, they are creations in which the medium is the message.”