Cornwall

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="737" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-On-the-Journey-2024.-©-Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas.-Courtesy-of-the-artist-and-Krupa-Art-Foundation-Wroclaw.-Photo-Marek-Gardulski-1000x737.jpg" alt="Małgorzata Mirga-Tas 'On the Journey' 2024. © Małgorzata Mirga-Tas. Courtesy of the artist and Krupa Art Foundation, Wrocław. Photo, Marek Gardulski" class="wp-image-35030" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-On-the-Journey-2024.-©-Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas.-Courtesy-of-the-artist-and-Krupa-Art-Foundation-Wroclaw.-Photo-Marek-Gardulski-1000x737.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-On-the-Journey-2024.-©-Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas.-Courtesy-of-the-artist-and-Krupa-Art-Foundation-Wroclaw.-Photo-Marek-Gardulski-800x589.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-On-the-Journey-2024.-©-Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas.-Courtesy-of-the-artist-and-Krupa-Art-Foundation-Wroclaw.-Photo-Marek-Gardulski-768x566.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-On-the-Journey-2024.-©-Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas.-Courtesy-of-the-artist-and-Krupa-Art-Foundation-Wroclaw.-Photo-Marek-Gardulski.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Małgorzata Mirga-Tas &#8216;On the Journey&#8217; 2024. © Małgorzata Mirga-Tas. Courtesy of the artist and Krupa Art Foundation, Wrocław. Photo, Marek Gardulski</figcaption></figure>



Another treat of an exhibition opens at the Tate St Ives this October, filling the temporary gallery space with a colourful series of compelling textile installations, created by Polish visual storyteller and textile artist <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/magorzata-mirga-tas">Małgorzata Mirga-Tas</a>. Hard to believe that this space is now celebrating seven years since first opening back in October 2017, with this exhibition the latest in an excellent series by artists from outside the UK, helping to set the Tate St Ives artists in a more global context. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-1000x667.jpg" alt="visual storyteller and textile artist Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, alongside details from her work" class="wp-image-35163" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Visual storyteller and textile artist <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/magorzata-mirga-tas">Małgorzata Mirga-Tas</a> // details from her work</figcaption></figure>



A visit to arty St Ives is always a winner. Beaches galore, shops and restaurants aplenty, and places to fill your cultural boots or, you know, hide from the Cornish weather if it’s not playing ball. Muddy had a sneak preview with a tour from the artist herself &#8211; if you fancy your own walk through with her and Tate Director Anne Barlow, <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/magorzata-mirga-tas/exhibition-talk-with-malgorzata-mirga-tas">book in for opening day on 19 Oct</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-RB-image-1000x667.jpg" alt="Malgorzata Mirga-Tas at Tate St Ives October 2024" class="wp-image-35160" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-RB-image-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-RB-image-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-RB-image-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-RB-image.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Vibrant and colourful, for her first major UK exhibition, Mirga-Tas has created five new full-scale works to accompany many others from recent series, including the monumental panel created for the 59th Venice Biennale, across which she examines and challenges stereotypical representations of Roma people from a feminist perspective. The resulting works are filled with delightful touches, picked out in textiles, threads and in some cases actual pieces of the subjects personal clothing, all created in her studio / atelier in the Romani community in Czarna Góra, at the foot of the Tatra Mountains, Poland, where she also lives.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="663" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-RB-image-1000x663.jpg" alt="Malgorzata Mirga-Tas at Tate St Ives October 2024 - Side Thawenca (Sewn with Threads) 2019, created for the 59th Venice Biennale, flanked by two new works created for the exhibition" class="wp-image-35159" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-RB-image-1000x663.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-RB-image-800x531.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-RB-image-768x509.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-2-RB-image.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mirga-Tas Side Thawenca (Sewn with Threads) 2019, created for the 59th Venice Biennale, flanked by two new works created for the exhibition</figcaption></figure>



Typically and traditionally, Romani people have been depicted poorly and negatively, with tropes from just a few artists replicated repeatedly across art history. 16th century print maker and etcher Jacques Callot is one such example, and a reproduction of his etchings is in displayed for context. Mirga-Tas seeks to reframe and challenge this perspective, taking scenes and images from some of these works and re-centring and enlarging parts from them, giving new strength and dignity to the scenes. She particularly, although not exclusively, focuses on women and children, community and the concept of journeying. Movingly, in the 2022 portrait series found in the last room, she also focuses on commemorating victims of Romani persecution and genocide during the Second World War. Across her works her friends, family, and even a self-portrait or two appear, as well as animals &#8211; dogs, cats, chickens; the domesticity of Romani life.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-1000x667.jpg" alt="Malgorzata Mirga-Tas at Tate St Ives October 2024" class="wp-image-35158" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Malgorzata-Mirga-Tas-Tate-St-Ives.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mirga-Tas pointing out elements of her work // detail of landscape and animals</figcaption></figure>



Mirga-Tas works with a team of three seamstresses at her studio, creating the works using a domestic sewing machine, despite many of the people in her works being at least &#8216;real&#8217; sized; the fabric includes donated items as well as individual&#8217;s clothes and other textiles, giving new life to unused fabrics. Initially studying sculpture, Mirga-Tas&#8217; works have 3D elements, with fabrics and details expanding beyond the screens and backgrounds, adding depth and movement to her works.



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Like <a href="https://cornwall.muddystilettos.co.uk/things-to-do/arts-culture-things-to-do/first-look-beatriz-milhazes-maresias-tate-st-ives/">Beatriz Milhazes</a>, with her vibrant, compelling kaleidoscopic paintings, and and Outi Pieski&#8217;s brightly hanging displays before that, Mirga-Tas&#8217; work continues to liven up gallery four and even if the cultural relevance of the work holds no particular resonance, there&#8217;s enough detail and interest to keep everyone entertained for an hour or so, and children will no doubt find the plethora of animals a particular draw. I loved the sparkly ears!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="667" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Cansu-Çakar-Tate-St-Ives--1000x667.jpg" alt="Cansu Çakar’s brand new miniaturist-inspired painting installation at Tate St Ives" class="wp-image-35164" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Cansu-Çakar-Tate-St-Ives--1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Cansu-Çakar-Tate-St-Ives--800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Cansu-Çakar-Tate-St-Ives--768x512.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cornwall/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/10/Cansu-Çakar-Tate-St-Ives-.jpg 1500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cansu Çakar’s&nbsp;brand new miniaturist-inspired painting installation at Tate St Ives</figcaption></figure>



Also launching simultaneously is Turkish artist <a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives/display/cansu-cakar-new-rarities">Cansu Çakar</a>’s brand new miniaturist-inspired painting installation for Tate St Ives’ rotunda staircase. Based in İzmir, Turkey, Cansu Çakar developed this new work during two residencies in St Ives in 2024, reflecting on commodities and mythologies bridging the Mediterranean and Cornwall. You won&#8217;t miss this &#8211; it&#8217;s literally hanging in the middle of the bottom of the staircase as you enter the building, the snail shell shape a compelling visual. Either look in detail by entering into the middle of the curled watercolour, or, pause on the first landing and look down from the window above.



And still on in gallery 10 as you leave the exhibition are the Rothko Seagram Murals. Personally, I think assistant curator Giles Jackson has done a great job in hanging these beautiful works, but they have divided opinion, with some people feeling the space doesn&#8217;t quite do them justice. Whatever your thoughts, it&#8217;s a great chance to see them up close in Cornwall.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-muddy-verdict">The Muddy Verdict</h2>



<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/magorzata-mirga-tas">Małgorzata Mirga-Tas</a>&#8216; works are huge, and full of beautiful details, and the story telling is moving. Pretty impressive, even before you consider she created them using a domestic sewing machine and every day textiles. 



Good for: I’ve written this before, but I’d defy anyone with even a passing interest in modern art to not enjoy a bit of culture with their beach trip; this is a another visually compelling exhibition, with deeper meaning too, if wanted.



Not for: No sea-scapes here, and no painting really either. If you’re more of a sculpture fan, head for the other rooms in the gallery instead, or just straight for the Barbara Hepworth garden.



The damage: £12 / Free for Members and Locals Pass Holders, £1 on 23 and 24 November 2024 for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/winter-festival-2024">Winter Festival 2024</a>



Exhibition runs 19 Oct 2024 &#8211; 5 January 2025



Tate St Ives, Porthmeor Beach, St Ives, Cornwall TR26 1TG



<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/">tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-st-ives/</a>

First Look: Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, Tate St Ives

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