Flussabwärts: A thematic walk through EupenMay 2022
Part of the public programme for Kristina Benjocki’s solo exhibition at IKOB
Jochen Buhren, historian and chairman of Tuchwerk Aachen, led a guided tour through Eupen with a stopover at IKOB. The walk focused on the city’s links with textile production: Eupen grew into an important industrial center in the 18th century and was particularly known for its deep blue and black textiles (swarte Laeken), which were exported throughout Europe. On the walk, we traced this local history and learned how its influences on the geography, architecture and society of Eupen can still be felt today - with a particular focus on dyeing and the water sources required for this.

The Flussabwärts event took place as part of Kristina Benjocki's exhibition at IKOB. With her textile works, the artist illustrates that although the history of human development often focuses on hard materials such as stone, bronze or iron, civilization would be inconceivable without perishable surfaces made of threads. 

On this walk, participants followed the threads of history in order to challenge the often subordinate position of textiles and the work associated with them, taking a closer look at their structural significance for our lives.