Exhibition: Vengefully Changed Allegiance by Alison Harm
Part of Pomegranates 2024
(Tue 23-Tue 30 Apr)
Vengefully Changed Allegiance is the first solo exhibition in a public institution by fashion designer Alison Harm, the founder of Edinburgh’s own Psychomoda brand, who has been challenging our opinions for the last 30 years on who can wear what and where by mixing different tartan patterns together and upcycling industry scraps, vintage cloth and broken jewellery.
Curated specifically for the Pomegranates 2024 festival, this exhibition of sustainable fashion also challenges the living tradition of the tartan cloth still used for the Highland Dress dance costume and the kilt with all its accessories. Featuring a collection of garments displayed on mannequins and on models, as captured in the new photography by Amanda Roberston, the exhibition also poses the question of safeguarding and innovating the intangible cultural heritage of both the Highland Dance and the Scottish tartan.
In the artist’s own words: “Fashion is cyclic. Today we might wear clothing and styles from the 1980s to show our allegiance to a musical, political or cultural theme from the past. As a young designer I trained in the Punk Rock environment of the 1980s when the tartan fabric became part of the symbolism of that cultural movement. This collection of garments in the exhibition is also my unique homage to the Jacobite revivalist movement of the 1880s, during the reign of Queen Victoria, which instigated a renewed romanticised interest in the Scottish tartan textiles and fashion styles.” (Alison Harm)
The exhibition is accompanied by curatorial and artist’s guided tours on demand, a special fashion catwalk and a dance show. There is also an opportunity to view the exhibition after 6pm on 27 and 28 April 2024 as part of the Pomegranates 2024 festival shows at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
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Vengefully Changed Allegiance is part of Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland and TRACS programme of events showcasing Scotland’s traditional arts and cultural heritage. TRACS has been recently appointed as an advisor to UNESCO on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland and this exhibition showcases ICH in practice through highlighting the sustainability in the fashion industry while exploring the role of tartan in Scottish trad dance.
Established in 2022, Pomegranates is Scotland’s annual festival of international dance. Initiated and produced by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. This year, the festival features artists’ residencies and social dance sessions, exhibitions and tours, shows and workshops, plus our first Pomegranates Family Sunday. Find out more about Pomegranates below.
The exhibition is free and non-ticketed, however the exhibition space is sometimes used for private events so you may wish to call ahead to ensure it will be accessible for your visit.
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Exhibition
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£0.00 -
29-30 April 2024 -
480 minutes -
Scottish Storytelling Centre -
Storytelling Court -
All Ages
