Koen Taselaar 

 

 

Koen Taselaar

 

End And 

 

‘End And’ is a large woven wall hanging by Koen Taselaar, inspired by the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry of Angers, a monumental 14th-century tapestry that visually narrates the Biblical story of the Apocalypse. The work presents a colourful parade of possible end-of-world scenarios, where religion, history, science and popular culture intersect. Taselaar explores how each generation depicts its own fears of the world’s end, from Biblical prophecies and natural disasters to nuclear weapons, the climate crisis and AI. 

The wall hanging measures 19 metres long and 3.5 metres high, and was woven on a computer-controlled Jacquard loom, making it readable from both sides. Like its historical counterpart, this work bears the marks of its own time: humour and irony coexist with existential threats. By letting layers of time collide, Bauhaus alongside science fiction, microorganisms alongside cosmic catastrophes, Taselaar creates a complex narrative in which history is presented as an ongoing tapestry of repeated fears and human imagination. 

The work was exhibited at the Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré in the heart of Tours, from 7 February to 21 September 2025. 

 

Photography by Aurélien Mole 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

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Into The Great Wide Open

 

For ‘Into The Great Wide Open’ festival, held from 28 to 31 August 2025, Koen Taselaar created a Jacquard-woven wall hanging featuring his characteristic playful visual language. Starting from a drawing, he brought the design to life in textile, combining humour, attention to detail, and a loose, almost nonchalant approach that reflects his background as a skateboarder and visual artist. 

Taselaar incorporated recognisable references to the festival and the island of Vlieland, such as birds, nature, and subtle nods to the festival landscape, including a hidden piece of litter. Having worked frequently in the TextielLab, he drew on favourite weave structures that give the piece rhythm and texture. 

 

Photography by Patty van den Elshout commissioned by the TextielMuseum 

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Dark Days in Doggerland  
Burning Down The House 

 

Alongside the large wall hanging, Koen Taselaar developed a series of smaller textiles in the TextielLab, such as ‘Dark Days in Doggerland’ and ‘Burning Down The House’, which build on his apocalyptic visual language both conceptually and visually. Some works are directly derived from ‘End And’, while others function as independent chapters within the same universe.  

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