The exhibition et al. by Tenant of Culture at Kunstverein Dresden explores the origins, meaning, and potential of the workshop as a physical and social space. Historically, the workshop was the main site of production before the industrial revolution accelerated and decentralised production processes with the expansion of factories. Workshops were often situated in the domestic space; the production of textiles and garments especially took place around the house and was done mostly by women. Various techniques—from spinning wool and weaving to pattern cutting, stitching and decorating—found their place in these home workshops.

Today, the processes of production have been largely compartmentalized and outsourced to a global network of manufacturers. A complex system of unequal power structures has emerged, supported by trade exemptions and other state-sanctioned accords. The consumption of mass-produced goods seems to flow smoothly, but it requires extensive natural resources and workforce capacity, producing vast amounts of waste. These processes are messy, dirty, and often present ethical concerns. Yet, they leave no traces on the surfaces of the objects that result, from clothing to everything else.

The deconstruction and reconstruction of garments present comprehensible approaches for tracing these manufacturing and distribution processes and making them visible. In her exhibition et al., Tenant of Culture systematically combines elements that are usually kept separate: the production and the presentation of art, as well as the spheres where artists and the public operate. With this in mind, Tenant of Culture employs a modular display that is both a functional structure for workshops and a spatial intervention. Movable clothing rails, tables, and the torsos of discarded mannequins are sculptural gestures as well as practical resources for draping and manipulating textiles.