The Swedish visual artist Alexander Wessely’s latest work “Cyclical Movements” is a video piece exploring the concepts of rebirth, circularity and innovation. Incorporating choreography created and performed by ballerina Mia Hjelte and a symphony composed by Jacob Mühlrad, the piece is inspired by cyclical processes involved in creating Circulose®, a new fashion material made from 100% discarded textiles at Renewcell’s factory in Kristinehamn.
Renewcell has partnered with Mühlrad and Wessely on the latest Circulose Project where the recycling process of Circulose®, a breakthrough material for fashion made 100% from textile waste, is in focus. Motion pictures from the production in the Kristinehamn factory is projected on the fabric surrounding Hjelte as she moves around on the stage.
“Making society circular goes beyond physical engineering — we have to shift minds, shift culture. Everyone knows the rational intellectual argument for reducing fashion’s impact, we have to make that argument on the emotional and aesthetic level too. That’s why we feel it’s important to work with artists like Jacob, Alexander and Mia.” says Nora Eslander Head of Communications at Renewcell. “Experiencing this work, what comes to mind is the persistence of our colleagues in Kristinehamn in taking Circulose from a lab sketch to industrial production over the last couple of years. They kept moving and kept pushing. Through shredders, pressers and screeners they’ve moved fibers along, creating a carefully managed choreography. A sequence of precise movements where every step matters for the final impression. They’ve created a dance worthy any stage.”
Jacob Mühlrads music has been performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York, The Royal Swedish Opera, Bamberg Hall in Germany and National Portrait Gallery in London. Wessley has a multidisciplinary approach working with sculpture, film and photography with his work shown in over 20 countries. The duo has previously been working together on projects with Swedish House Maffia and Dramaten but are now for the first time moving into fashion.
“It felt very natural to create an artistic interpretation of the Circulose process. I often work more with a cyclical form than linear which goes really hand in hand with the process of recycling garments ” says Jacob Mühlrad, composer.
Experience Cyclical Movements at circulo.se and in this article in Vogue Scandinavia
