14 january 2026, Flor Linckens
Soft!: contemporary textile art at Muiderslot castle
From 16 January, Muiderslot castle presents the work of six contemporary artists who each explore textile in their own way. In the exhibition ‘Soft!’, Sofie Aaldering, Sina Dyks, Kiki van Eijk, Kelly Konings, Alfhild Kulper and Simone Post demonstrate just how versatile, idiosyncratic and experimental the medium can be. The castle created this exhibition in collaboration with Rademakers Gallery.
Muiderslot castle was built around 1285 and has been a national museum since 1878. In the 17th century, it was home to the famous Dutch poet, historian and playwright P.C. Hooft for nearly forty years. He hosted writers, artists and musicians there, a tradition the castle continues today with a cultural programme that includes not only visual art but also spoken word, philosophy, dance and theatre.
The decision to present an exhibition in a castle is therefore less surprising than it might seem. In castles like the Muiderslot, textiles have always played a prominent role. Tapestries, embroidery and heavy curtains reflected wealth, taste and power, but also depicted religious and historical narratives. Heraldry and other emblems symbolised identity, political alliances and family ties. Textiles also served practical purposes within the castle walls: softening sound, providing warmth and privacy, or appearing on the table for special occasions. The current interior of Muiderslot dates from the 17th century and later. The museum’s online collection includes historical textile pieces from this time period, from cradle covers, gobelins and upholstered furniture to Caucasian tapestries and a cushion embroidered with P.C. Hooft’s coat of arms.
Until 23 March, visitors will encounter a range of contemporary works there that feel sculptural, tactile and at times almost like a landscape. The six women artists who show their work use a variety of materials and techniques, both traditional and contemporary, with sustainability as a recurring concern.
Swedish artist Alfhild Sarah Külper works with discarded textile industry leftovers from India and Nepal, transforming them into richly layered, three-dimensional works, using traditional tufting techniques. Before launching her independent practice in 2021, Külper spent ten years as Head of Design at Viktor & Rolf. That experience gave her an inside view of the fashion industry, and her focus on sustainability and material research continues to shape her work.
Kiki van Eijk presents a series of monumental figurative tapestries at the Muiderslot, each measuring 223 by 174 centimetres and composed of landscape scenes that feature plants and flowers. The works are made from a wide range of fibres and yarns, including hemp, paper and mohair. The series title, "Memories of a garden", adds an additional layer of poetic interpretation.
Sina Dyks also presents large-scale wall hangings, though her pieces are quite abstract. She works with contemporary materials such as recycled PET yarn and modern techniques, and references the visual language of historical gobelins. The result is a series of sensory, vibrant works that guide the viewer’s eye through colour and texture.
The exhibition also features an iconic pair of boots by Kelly Konings, created using a 3D jacquard weaving technique with linen and wool. Her work shows how craftsmanship and innovation can converge in a wearable object. Drawing on weaving traditions such as brocade, Konings explores how textiles operate not only as objects, but also in relation to the body.
Simone Post presents a series of vibrant masks and a tapestry, made from rejected wax prints from Vlisco. During her internship at the company, she was struck by how much misprinted material was discarded. This discovery led to an in-depth material research project, which became the foundation of her graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven and was later published as the book Post Vlisco. Her work has been acquired by various collections, including the Vitra Design Museum, the Centraal Museum and Cooper Hewitt in New York.
In both small and large-scale works, Sofie Aaldering imbues textile with a distinctly sculptural presence. Using materials such as tulle, organza, foam, fibreglass and beads, often repurposed, she investigates how to break free from traditional forms and push the spatial potential of the medium. In 2023 she created a commissioned artwork for Dior.
