The 15th International Textile and Fiber Art Biennial “Scythia” is presented this year in Ivano-Frankivs’k, Ukraine, from 4 to 18 June. “Scythia” is a textile art biennial event inaugurated in 1996 and followed up since then with great success. The event presents an exhibition, a symposium, a fashion show, and professional workshops.
I am participating in this year’s exhibition with the textile work “Arcadians” (2024), an embroidered and sewn piece that refers to the resilience of those who appreciate simple things. Talking about resilience: The remarkable courage of the organizers who insist on the value of art under any circumstances means a lot to us all, participants and audience. Though we cannot physically visit the exhibition this time, we support “Scythia” by following their news online; photos and a catalogue will be published in due time on their website (always worth a visit): http://www.scythiatextile.com/index.html.
Scythia in history
The name “Scythia” comes from ancient times. Scythia is the area where the nomadic people of Scythians settled after many wandering years in Asia; this happened a long time ago, in the 7th century BC. We know about the beginnings of this nation through the narrations of historians of the ancient world – from the European side mainly through the Histories of Herodotus – and through archeological findings that came to light many centuries later.
Scythia was situated north of the Black Sea in the area which is now Ukraine. Its northern edge takes up a southwest part of the vast Siberian area.
(Histories book 4, 7.3) Now, the places that exist toward the northern wind, further away from the furthest outposts of their land, it is said that it’s impossible for anyone to see or to pass through, and the reason is the feathers that fill up the air; cause both the earth and the air are filled with feathers, and these obscure the view.
(Histories book 4, 6.20) Scythians or Skyths were named so by the Greeks; they were self-designated as Scolotes, taking their name from their king.
Source in Greek (own translation): https://www.greek-language.gr/digitalResources/ancient_greek/library/browse.html?text_id=30&page=97
