Image: Whitechapel Gallery, London
Whitechapel Gallery is inviting visitors to contribute small pieces of plant matter and found debris to ‘Foraging Quipu’, a new work by Cecilia Vicuña that will be created for and installed within the forthcoming exhibition ‘Cecilia Vicuña: Living Threads’. The exhibition and participatory work are scheduled to run at the London gallery from 7 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
The invitation asks members of the Whitechapel Gallery community to gather fragments from their surroundings as autumn approaches. Requested materials include dry plants, fungi, sticks, branches, seeds and roots, as well as small, lightweight objects of industrial or animal origin. The gallery lists wool, fabric, plastic, metal, toy fragments, painted wood and other biomaterials among the possible contributions.
All materials must be small and light enough to carry. The available announcement does not specify a closing date for submissions or provide further instructions about where contributions should be delivered. It states that the collected fragments will be woven into the new artwork and installed as part of ‘Living Threads’.
The project extends the exhibition’s public dimension beyond the gallery’s exhibition spaces, with visitors contributing material gathered from their own surroundings. The work is presented as a new commission connected to Vicuña’s upcoming solo exhibition rather than as a separate event at another venue. Whitechapel Gallery’s exhibition listings identify both ‘Cecilia Vicuña: Living Threads’ and ‘Cecilia Vicuña: Foraging Quipu’ as part of its autumn 2026 programme.
The Whitechapel Gallery is located at 77–82 Whitechapel High Street in East London and describes itself as a registered charity that has served its communities for more than a century. Its programme includes temporary exhibitions, events and participatory projects, and the gallery does not house a permanent collection. It is supported using public funding from Arts Council England.
The Vicuña project follows a summer programme focused on East London communities and participation. ‘Backyard Biennial: East’, a free arts festival presented from 15 July to 6 September 2026 across East London venues, included participatory exhibitions, workshops, screenings and events at Whitechapel Gallery and elsewhere. The gallery is due to close to the public from 7 September until 1 October while preparing its autumn season.
‘Cecilia Vicuña: Living Threads’ and ‘Foraging Quipu’ will be on view at Whitechapel Gallery from 7 October 2026 through 14 February 2027.
