(°1976, Missoula – Montana, lives and works in Brooklyn, New York) Amanda Browder is known for her enormous textile installations, which adorn bridges, walls, homes and public spaces in urban environments all over the world. Each installation is created from collected material: pieces of fabric donated by the local community. Browder arranges these pieces and then sews them together with the help of a host of local volunteers. Each of her colourful installations is specifically developed for its chosen location, based on her impressions of the urban context, the participants’ stories and the local history. Colours, shapes and surfaces are brought together in patterns and installed in a carefully selected spot as a colourful experiential installation. In line with her visual intentions, Browder always involves local people in her projects. She does this right from the start. She regards the conceptual approach to collecting and sorting textiles as a community project. Here in Bruges she started that first phase in the autumn of 2020. The pandemic disrupted her planning somewhat, but fortunately we were able to cushion the impact of that via online activities and Facebook groups. A second phase begins when volunteers come to help Browder to arrange the pieces of fabric, pin them and sew them together. This is an opportunity for the artist and the volunteers to get to know each other and for the volunteers to become familiar with the various tasks involved. Some may even learn to use a sewing machine for the very first time. The overarching intention of this process is to involve individuals and groups in an exceptional act of creation. But even more important is that it shows people that coming together to create a work of art – regardless of prior knowledge and with no expertise required – can spark a positive change. In this phase, a sense of community is fostered, personal stories are exchanged and a collective goal enhances the opportunity to learn and to develop.