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Textile Shipping Containers by Overtreders W
Netherlands design studio Overtreders W have designed an exhibition featuring shipping containers made of textiles at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam.
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Called Textile Shipping Containers, the divisions are made of a range of textiles including voile, cotton and cheesecloth, which all have different degrees of transparency.
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The use of fabric allows visitors to have a glimpse of the artwork within the 'boxes'.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-6.jpg)
The installation was created for an exhibition called Portscapes at the museum last month.
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Photographs are by Jorn van Eck.
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Here's some more information from the designers:
‘PORTSCAPES’ EXHIBITION (2010) - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Overtreders W designed shipping containers out of textiles for the exhibition Portscapes currently showing at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-8.jpg)
The exhibition Portscapes is the culmination of a year-long cultural project that invited Dutch and international artists to reflect on Maasvlakte 2, the extension of Rotterdam’s harbour.
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Underway since 2008, the extension will increase Europe’s largest harbour by 20%, enlarging The Netherlands by 2000 hectares.
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The resultant artworks include photography, performance, videos, sound installations and even a newspaper.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-11.jpg)
For the design of the exhibition, Overtreders W looked to the harbour for inspiration. The concept was to create a physical intervention in the space (Richard Serra Hall) as a basis for the artworks, many of which include visuals and sound.
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Shipping containers, iconic symbols of the harbour, are fashioned out of fabric to provide an intimate backdrop for experiencing each artwork.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-12.jpg)
Constructed from textiles with differing transparencies – voile, cotton and cheesecloth – the containers paint an illusory image of the docklands in reference to a harbour that’s not yet built.
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The textiles give a glimpse into the contents of the ubiquitous metal boxes which normally otherwise remain a mystery. Texts for each artwork are printed onto cotton labels and stitched onto the containers.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-15.jpg)
Through the play of transparencies - suggesting ships moving through a fog-filled harbour - the exhibition slowly reveals itself. Connecting the different containers and artworks, rough textured black floor tiles – inspired by basalt tiles often found in harbours - guide visitors through the exhibition.
![](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2010/04/dzn_Textile-shipping-containers-by-Overtreders-W-16.jpg)
The project was commissioned and supported by the Port of Rotterdam Authority and SKOR (Foundation Art and Public Space). The artists were invited by Latitudes curatorial office.
See also:
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