Every December, South Miami becomes the epicenter of the art world for Miami Art Week, which brings together thousands of international artists for art fairs, events, and galleries.
Bringing new names to the festival, this year Sunbrella collaborated with textile artist Windy Chien to create an immersive exhibition, “Knot Expected: Elevating the Everyday.”
In 2016, Windy Chien began exploring the balance between the functional and the aesthetic, leading her to submerge herself in the ancient, nautical craft of knot making – creating a different knot each day for one year. Seeing the way Windy was able to masterfully evolve knots into art, Sunbrella was excited to give her a platform to translate her vision through Sunbrella fabric at PULSE.
For the PULSE experience, Windy leveraged various shades and hues of Sunbrella fabric to create a knot wall installation. The exhibition also included other artistic expressions from Windy, including circuit board and helix light textile pieces.
“There was a fundamental synergy between Windy’s art and Sunbrella fabrics,” said Sunbrella designer, Esther Chang. “We were honored to work with Windy and use the ‘Knot Expected’ installation at one of the world’s biggest art shows as a platform to bring the possibilities found at the intersection of aesthetics and functionality to life in an engaging activation.”
The installation was not only a way for Windy to reimagine knot making through Sunbrella fabrics, but also allowed attendees of PULSE and art enthusiasts to interact with the fabrics in an individualized way. Those who visited the activation were taught how to make their own knots out of the fabric, which they were able to take with them to elevate their own spaces.
“Our PULSE installation embodied what we believe Sunbrella products should do for a home,” said Chang. “It is our goal to partner with artists and designers to elevate interior design to an artform through our products.”