Intertwining tectonics – the intercultural work of Anni Albers

This article reflects on the intertwining of art, architecture and landscape in the work of the artist and educator Anni Albers. It focuses on the tectonic quality of weaving as a central theme in Albers’s oeuvre, which she developed following her studies at the Bauhaus and throughout her repeated visits to archaeological sites in Mexico.

The text looks at Albers’s interpretation of the geometries of architecture and landscape, as well as of local weaving traditions, through the examination of her formal and material experiments. It follows the development of the spatial aspect of her weavings and their conversion into constructive elements alongside her collaborations with architects and the textile industry. The article also takes into consideration Anni Albers’s theoretical contributions to transferring design knowledge, such as On Weaving, a compendium of weaving techniques that includes textiles from Albers’s collection of Pre-Columbian art along with pieces of her own work, as well as that of contemporary artists.

Moreover, the article investigates how the study of ancient Mesoamerican architecture and art contributes to the universality and radical contemporaneity Albers sought in weaving. It shows the relevance and topicality of Albers’s work, revealing her trailblazing ideas, beyond preserving or passing on artisanal traditions, drawing on craft as a means for carving out and transmitting the essential quality of weaving as a space-creating, future-oriented activity.