ILANGA x Museumnacht x Oude Kerk

ILANGA took part in Museumnacht Amsterdam in collaboration with the Oude Kerk, contributing a natural dyeing program connected to the exhibition Kimsooja: To Breathe – Mokum. Throughout the evening, visitors were invited to learn about the history and practice of natural dyeing through a live demonstration and conversation centered on madder, a historically significant plant dye in Europe.

Madder, derived from the roots of Rubia tinctorum, has been used for thousands of years to produce a range of red tones, from gentle rose hues to deep brick reds. Before the emergence of synthetic dyes in the 19th century, madder played an important role in European textile production and trade, including in regions of the Netherlands where it was cultivated and processed. Its presence in textiles links agriculture, craftsmanship, trade routes, and local cultural knowledge.

During the demonstration, ILANGA showed the steps involved in preparing and applying madder dye to natural fibers. Visitors were introduced to the dye’s material qualities, the role of mordants and water conditions, and how variations in technique influence the resulting color. The session also highlighted the broader cultural and ecological contexts of natural dyeing, emphasizing how color traditions emerge from relationships between land, plants, and craft communities.

Presenting this demonstration within the framework of Kimsooja: To Breathe – Mokum created a dialogue between contemporary artistic reflection and traditional material practices. Kimsooja’s work often explores textiles as carriers of memory, ritual, and human connection. The natural dyeing program extended these themes into practice, offering visitors a direct encounter with the processes that historically gave color to everyday life.

Through this collaboration, ILANGA and the Oude Kerk provided a space for exploring textile history, craft knowledge, and sustainable approaches to color-making, contributing to ongoing conversations about cultural heritage and material awareness in the present.