The boiler suit is a changeable item of clothing. In "Metamorphosis of Workwear", it becomes an artistic projection surface for industrial culture.
What do Chemnitz, Gabrovo, Łódź, Manchester, Mulhouse and Tampere have in common? It is the history of industrial rise - and the structural change that still characterizes the cities today. In the Creative Europe project Metamorphosis of Workwear, precisely these transformations will become visible at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum from September 23 to November 14, 2025: through fashion, art and encounters.
18 artists from these six European "Manchesters" will embark on a journey into the past, present and future of their cities - and develop artistic reinterpretations of classic workwear: Blue men, nylon aprons or smocks become statements about identity, change and social justice.
The artistic director of the project is Dresden designer and curator Wiete Sommer. With her interdisciplinary approach, she creates spaces for exchange and reflection - on fashion as a social medium, on working environments in transition, on gender, sustainability and belonging.
From January to June 2025, textile artworks will be created in six cities, inspired by industrial heritage and the voices of local people. In workshops, city visits and open afternoons with the local population, stories are condensed into wearable art. The highlight will be a performance at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum on September 20, 2025, accompanied by an exhibition that will also be on display in Łódź and Gabrovo in 2026.
Metamorphosis of Workwear is more than an art project - it is a European conversation about work, change and cultural identity. Coordinated by the Chemnitz Industrial Museum as part of the European Capital of Culture 2025 and funded by the EU, the project gives workwear a new voice. And with it, the cities that helped build Europe.
18 artists from these six European "Manchesters" will embark on a journey into the past, present and future of their cities - and develop artistic reinterpretations of classic workwear: Blue men, nylon aprons or smocks become statements about identity, change and social justice.
The artistic director of the project is Dresden designer and curator Wiete Sommer. With her interdisciplinary approach, she creates spaces for exchange and reflection - on fashion as a social medium, on working environments in transition, on gender, sustainability and belonging.
From January to June 2025, textile artworks will be created in six cities, inspired by industrial heritage and the voices of local people. In workshops, city visits and open afternoons with the local population, stories are condensed into wearable art. The highlight will be a performance at the Chemnitz Industrial Museum on September 20, 2025, accompanied by an exhibition that will also be on display in Łódź and Gabrovo in 2026.
Metamorphosis of Workwear is more than an art project - it is a European conversation about work, change and cultural identity. Coordinated by the Chemnitz Industrial Museum as part of the European Capital of Culture 2025 and funded by the EU, the project gives workwear a new voice. And with it, the cities that helped build Europe.