St. Gallen, Switzerland: French-Iranian contemporary artist Chalisée Naamani is redefining the role of textiles as powerful mediums of cultural memory, political expression, and identity in her latest solo exhibition, ‘Octogone’, currently on display at Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen until 13 September 2026.
Marking Naamani’s first solo exhibition in Switzerland, Octogone presents an immersive collection of textile installations, sculptures, prints, and mixed-media artworks that challenge conventional ideas of fashion and the body. Rather than creating wearable garments, the artist introduces what she calls “vêtements-images”—sculptural image garments that function as visual narratives carrying stories of protest, migration, heritage, and resilience.
Drawing inspiration from the Zurkhaneh, Iran’s traditional “House of Strength,” the exhibition takes its name from the octagonal arena that symbolizes physical discipline, cultural endurance, and collective identity. This symbolic framework becomes a backdrop for Naamani’s exploration of how textiles can embody both personal histories and broader political struggles.
Through intricate layering of fabrics, embroidery, archival photographs, found materials, and symbolic imagery, Naamani connects diverse cultural references, weaving together Persian traditions, Christian iconography, global protest movements, popular culture, fashion branding, and family memories. The resulting works highlight clothing as more than material objects—they become repositories of memory and platforms for dialogue about power, belonging, and social transformation.
By blurring the boundaries between fashion, sculpture, and visual storytelling, Octogone questions how identities are continuously shaped, reconstructed, and circulated within an increasingly interconnected world.
The exhibition is a collaborative project between Palais de Tokyo in Paris, Kunsthalle Wien, and Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen, reflecting an international commitment to showcasing contemporary artistic practices that examine cultural exchange and political narratives through textile-based art.
With Octogone, Chalisée Naamani demonstrates that soft materials can carry immense conceptual strength, transforming fabric into a powerful medium for examining resistance, memory, and the evolving politics of identity.
