Miletić immersed herself in the songbooks of the Norbertine convent of Gempe, kept in the abbey archives and digitised in the Library of Voices of the Alamire Foundation. The canonesses copied, annotated, adapted and repaired these books over generations. On their opening pages are handwritten dedications that the women addressed to one another: small gestures of affection and transmission. Miletić turned these inscriptions into new songs, inspired by pop songs about names. They are sung a cappella by Amina Szecsödy and were recorded with the Alamire Foundation. A display case presents songbooks from the abbey collection, partly covered by a new textile work that echoes the care with which these fragile books have been preserved over the centuries. The books are rotated regularly to protect them from light.

About the artist

Hana Miletić was born in Croatia and lives in Brussels. Her practice centres on weaving, repair and collective care. She translates overlooked urban details, such as temporary fixes and improvised supports, into handwoven textile works. She represented Croatia at the 59th Venice Biennale and has exhibited at WIELS, Kunsthalle Wien, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb and the Bukhara Biennial