‘The geometric shapes we make in the fabric have meanings; each one is a message. Some shapes reference birds, footprints, cat’s eyes, our landscape. In the images we recall our ancestors and see that they are still part of us.’ – Claudia Alarcón
Claudia Alarcón is an indigenous textile artist from the La Puntana community of Wichí people of northern Salta, Argentina. Alongside her own artistic practice, she leads the Silät collective, an organisation of over one hundred women weavers of different generations from the Alto la Sierra and La Puntana Wichí communities. Tayhin is the collective’s first institutional solo presentation and brings together a series of recently made weavings. Several of these are suspended across freestanding structures, referring to the trees and wooden posts that are used by the artists to hang and stretch each piece once complete.
Formed in 2023 and coordinated by Alarcón and curator, Andrei Fernández, the Silät collective emerged from the Thañí/Viene del monte [Comes from the Bush] organisation, a public project aimed at reviving ancestral textile traditions in Salta. Silät, meaning ‘information’ or ‘alert’, uses weaving as a non-verbal form of communication, making visible a centuries-old practice passed down through generations.
Weaving in Wichí communities is a female-led, communal and ancestral practice that underpins their visual culture, storytelling and economic life. For centuries, thread from the local chaguar plant has been hand-spun to create different objects, such as bags and fishing nets, and since 2015, with Fernández’s support, large-scale works that depict geometric forms, each with their own symbol or message. The chaguar plant from which these works are made is deeply embedded in the lives of Wichí women. Its leaves are carefully harvested, peeled, crushed, soaked and spun into thread, which is then dyed using natural pigments from roots, bark, leaves and seeds, or with artificial dyes for brighter tones. Each weaving emerges through a collective choreography, with some of the largest works involving up to seven women at a time.
Alarcón and Silät’s work reflects a wider commitment to creative autonomy and intergenerational knowledge-sharing. It provides women across generations and geographies the opportunity to transmit a contemporary indigenous culture to an international art context, while resisting ethnographic framing. The exhibition’s title, Tayhin, is the Wichí term for weaving, an intransitive verb that also means building, reconstructing and healing. It evokes the collective spirit and imaginative scope of Silät’s practice.
As Alarcón has said of the group’s international recognition: ‘The important thing is that everyone now knows that we are here, part of this land, alive and resisting. We are always in solidarity, seeking respect and value for us and our work, for who we are and what we want to be, in honour of our ancestors. We will continue fighting!’
Exhibition supported by:
Easy Read Guide
There are plenty of welcoming and good value B&Bs & boutique hotels in Bexhill. The De La Warr Pavilion regularly uses the following:
The Relais Cooden Beach Hotel and Spa
Situated on a private beach with uninterrupted views of the English Channel, this immaculately restored four-star hotel is just a 10-minute drive from De La Warr Pavilion. Receive 10% discount on rooms* from Sunday to Thursday (excluding Fridays and Saturdays) using the promo code DLWP. BOOK NOW.
*Offer available until 31 March 2026 (blackout dates apply). Free cancellation up to 24 hours before arrival. Paid partnership with The Relais Cooden Beach Hotel & Spa.
- By Rail
Direct trains go from London Victoria, Brighton and Ashford to Bexhill.
There are also trains from London Charing Cross, changing at St. Leonards Warrior Square and from London Bridge or Charing Cross going to Battle. Battle is only a short taxi journey away (15 mins approx).
Visit www.nationalrail.co.uk for up-to-date train travel information. - Taxis
Town Taxis: 01424 211 511
Parkhurst Taxis: 01424 733 456 - By Car
If driving from the London area:
Take the M25, then A21 to Hastings. Turn off at John‘s Cross and follow the signs to Bexhill.
OR
Take the A22 to Eastbourne, go across the Bishop roundabout to the A271 and follow the signs to Bexhill and the seafront. The De La Warr Pavilion is on the Marina.
From the Brighton area:
Follow the A27 out of Brighton until you arrive in Bexhill On Sea. - Parking
Please be aware the Rother District car park outside the De La Warr Pavilion operates paid parking until 10pm. After this time parking is free. There is also limited free car parking along the seafront.
Within the limits of this Grade One listed building, the De La Warr Pavilion strives to be fully accessible with a range of facilities to support your visit.
Assistance Dogs are permitted into the building.
Please contact the Box Office on 01424 229 111 to arrange a visit.
Facilities for disabled visitors
- Ramped access at the front of the building
- A low counter at the Box Office and Information Desk
- Disabled toilets on two floors
- A lift to all floors
- Accessible galleries on both floors
- An accessible Café
- Spaces for wheelchairs in the auditorium for seated events
- Ramped access in the auditorium for events during the day
- Ramped access into the Studio
- Two travel wheelchairs are available for use at the De La Warr Pavilion. To reserve, please call our box office and information desk on (01424) 229111 or ask a member of staff on arrival. The chairs are provided on a first come, first served basis and are intended for use inside the Pavilion. Please contact us for more information.
Facilities for blind or visually-impaired
- Large print season brochures
Facilities for the hard-of-hearing
- An T-Switch induction loop in some areas of the auditorium (please indicate when booking as this facility is not available on the balcony)
- British Sign Language interpretation tours of the building and exhibitions are available on request.
Sensory Bags
- Sensory bags will be available from the Ground floor or First floor gallery and contain supportive items for people with neurodivergence, anxiety or sensory sensitives.Sensory bags include:
One set of ear defenders
A selection of fidget toys
One soft foam stress ball
A set of 6 coloured paddles
One light up magnifying glass. You can sign one out and bring it back before you leave.
Sensory bags are funded by UK Government.