Community Collaboration: “Made in Brandenburg” Exhibition

This project explored how rural regions can be more meaningfully included in cultural exchange and democratic participation. In collaboration with the Modemuseum Meyenburg, located in Brandenburg’s Prignitz region, we worked to create a space where local textile traditions could be shared and acknowledged within a museum context.

Seven students from five different countries took part in the initiative. Local residents were invited to contribute handmade textile objects—such as knitted, woven, embroidered, or sewn pieces—and to share the personal and historical stories behind them. The aim was to create an inclusive exhibition that highlights the value of everyday craft as part of the region’s material culture.

The project unfolded over three key phases: an introduction to the museum and its history, a collection day for community submissions, and the final exhibition opening. The number and quality of submissions exceeded expectations, presenting students with the challenge of cataloguing and curating the material as professionally and systematically as possible. This process included questions around classification, selection criteria, and how to appropriately present personal stories alongside the objects.

The result was the exhibition “Made in Brandenburg,” which showcased not only the submitted textile pieces and photographs, but also documented the project process itself. Interview recordings and other materials offered insight into the contributors’ perspectives and the significance of their craft within the broader context of cultural heritage.

As student Andrés Valdivieso reflected:

“It was a soft and gentle slap of reality in the face to get to know them and learn about the historical background of the people from Brandenburg. It felt super honest, raw, and warm. So it’s an instance that normally we would not have access to—and I think not even other Germans either. The main part of this experience was to give them a platform to showcase their talents and to share their history.”

Through this project, I gained a deeper appreciation for the role of museums in fostering cultural participation and recognizing craft as a form of intangible heritage. It strengthened my motivation to continue collaborating with museums and to further explore this area of the fashion field—especially as it relates to the social and cultural dimensions of sustainability.

Involved Students: Jonas Austenfeld, Cheryl Lam, Anna Lammer, Pearl Neithercut, Solène Schlömann, and Andrés Valdivieso and Bernadita Solis, who used this project as case study for her Master Thesis.

Posterdesign by Bernadita Solis

Special Thanks fo to our project partner Modemuseum Schloss Meyenburg and director Barbara Schrödl for her kind and brave support:

http://www.modemuseum-schloss-meyenburg.de