Last January, for three express days, Heimtextil 2026 opened its doors to celebrate another year of one of the most emblematic events in the textile world. There, amidst purplish tones and textures, designer Patricia Urquiola occupied a privileged position from which she brought her exhibition among-all to life.
An inflatable amorphous sculpture, seemingly conceived from remnants, welcomed visitors to the installation. Navigating between the organic and solid nature of matter, among-all was conceived as an open and living stage in constant evolution, highlighting spatial potential – typical of architects who explore their practices between architecture, art, and design – and revealing the wide range of materials, colors, and forms that make up Urquiola’s creative language. Beyond presenting an exquisite final result, the architect and her studio used the occasion to emphasize the transformative power of textiles, with their weaves, contrasts, and textures, understanding fabric and materiality as both residue and resource in both the craft and industrial sectors.
The exhibition combined different display elements that allowed visitor interaction through a set of elements designed not only as a stimulus but also for their capacity to expand their responsible impact on the environment. The sculptural Giano Bifronte seat reappears with a fringed covering made from ECONYL® yarn (a material made from recycled fishing nets, carpets, and industrial waste) and developed by cc-tapis using robotufting techniques. The suspended grids, whose assembly depends on loom scraps, challenge the possible plasticity of fabrics as well as special limits thanks to their structural lightness. Meanwhile, the floor rugs were configured with various materials and production leftovers from the 13RUGS by Rohi brand.
Digital elements also had their place in the exhibition. A central hybrid screen converted the recording of movements in the room into hybrid creatures, while another displayed the entire creation process and collaborations behind the exhibit. In front of the first screen, various 3D printed pieces made from ECONYL® chips developed by Aquafil were produced by the Italian firm Caracol.
Other diverse compositional elements, such as the aforementioned inflatable mass made from unsold nylon scraps, a hybrid creature between physical and digital made from Ohoskin – a material derived from Sicilian orange by-products – or various pieces made from textiles that explore composition with renewable fibers and recycled content, demonstrate the possibility of creative yet educational discourses within a circular framework.
Through among-all, the result is not built from final objects but from a possible framework of transition in processes and what is conceived as finished. Open mechanisms permeable to change and the need for constant adaptability.
Perhaps the exhibition showcases one of the architect's most playful sides. However, there is a language of color – among pastels – and contrasts of textures that are already an identifying seal in her spatial characterizations. Now, not for the first time, but as a practice almost a manifesto of her present and future intentions, Urquiola transforms her aesthetic codes into practices that highlight sustainability in materials and production models.
Credits:
Photographs of the among-all installation, Patricia Urquiola. Heimtextil 2026. Courtesy Patricia Urquiola Studio
