The Instantanée Galerie is delighted to welcome, from 15 April to 29 May 2026, Le Fil des Mots — The Thread of Words, an exhibition conceived by the association Designing Hope, in collaboration with the association le Printemps des Poètes, some years ago.
OPENING ON TUESDAY 5 MAY 2026 – 6pm to 9pm
102 Boulevard Diderot – 75012 PARIS
These unique works are coming to light for the first time since their creation. Around thirty hand-embroidered pieces, born from the encounter between women trained in embroidery in Eswatini by Designing Hope, poets, artists and fashion designers — among them Robert Combas, Carole Benzaken, Loulou de la Falaise, Hassan Massoudy, Pierre Cardin…
The participating artists gave free rein to their imagination in interpreting the poem they were offered, playing with lettering, motifs, textiles, colours and embroidery techniques to make each piece a unique work, produced in only a few copies (8 copies maximum). Each work is presented with the name of the poet, and that of the designer or artist who gave it visual form. Some texts were reproduced without graphic interpretation — in these cases, it was the women themselves who chose the colour palettes and techniques used.
These embroideries are far more than works of art: they are living testaments to the cultural and human bridge that Designing Hope, has been building since its founding in 2003, between artists and designers and its humanitarian work in southern Africa.
The works are for sale in aid of the association, to fund its fieldwork in southern Africa. Some are presented framed in box frames, others on canvas stretchers, others still on simple fabric.
