Tramate – Thread, Water and Women

On the occasion of Art City 2026, the Opificio delle Acque in Bologna hosts Tramate – Thread, Water and Women, a solo exhibition by Elena Ciarrocchi.

Elena Ciarrocchi, an art embroiderer from the Marche region, presents works depicting marine fauna in a poetic dialogue with the tradition of silk spinners and with the Reno canal flowing beneath the Opificio. The network of canals once powered hundreds of mills and made Bologna prosperous, for a long time a European leader in silk production.

In addition, Elena Ciarrocchi gives voice to the story of Mabel of Bury St. Edmunds, an embroiderer of the Opus Anglicanum tradition, through a site-specific installation that interacts with the public, who are invited to work with needle and thread on a loom. The project, developed in collaboration with TAG – Teatro di Granarolo and musician Andrea Mazzacavallo, features a narrated voice with a text by Alessia Marchi.

Mabel, an important figure in her time, appeared no fewer than 24 times in the records of King Henry III (1239–45), who commissioned her first work, a chasuble. Mabel conceived its composition and took two years to complete it. Documents reveal that Henry wished to reward her fairly, highlighting her status as an independent craftswoman.

She can be considered the first woman officially recognized as an artist, predating Saint Catherine of Bologna (Caterina Vigri, 1413–63), the first woman known to sign her own work.

The exhibition will be open to the public until Sunday, February 8.