ENDANGERED – Textile Taxidermy (Series)

ENDANGERED – Textile Taxidermy (Series)

Short Description:
Endangered is a series of textile “specimens” documenting the extinction of biodiversity—before it vanishes. Using needle, thread, and felted wool, I reconstruct animals and small creatures. They appear precious, almost like jewelry, while simultaneously mourning their loss.

Technique: Needle and wet felting, embroidery on silk, wax, wire, glass
Year: 2024 – ongoing

HAZEL DORMOUSE (Haselmaus)

My Hazel Dormouse, crafted from sheep’s wool and supported by a fine wire mesh, translates a mysterious forest creature into tangible form. The real Hazel Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) lives hidden in hedges, shrubs, and open woodlands. Nocturnal and agile, it climbs skillfully through interconnected shrub layers, builds spherical summer nests from grasses and leaves, and hibernates close to the ground in a safe hideout. As an “indicator species,” it represents species-rich, connected landscapes: it thrives where hedges, margins, and old or young growth intertwine.

Its population suffers from habitat fragmentation, intensive maintenance of roadside verges, and the loss of blossom- and fruit-rich shrub species. The Hazel Dormouse is strictly protected in Europe (Habitats Directive) and holds special significance in nature conservation. By preserving hedges, planting native shrubs like hazel, blackberry, or blackthorn, and leaving transition zones “untidy,” we secure food, cover, and migration routes. Perhaps then, you too will soon find a Hazel Dormouse in your neighborhood again.

Material: Sheep’s wool, wire

Year of Creation: 2023

Technique: Needle felting, wire armature construction

EUROPEAN POND TURTLE

This Pond Turtle consists exclusively of sheep’s wool and two glass eyes—without a wire core. The soft, dense fibers recreate the shell structure, head, and limbs as gentle, organic forms. Thus, the materiality remains visible and tangible: handmade nature art with haptic depth.

The European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis) inhabits still waters with reed beds, rushes, and riparian zones. It requires sunny basking spots, habitats rich in fish and insects, as well as warm, sandy egg-laying sites. Habitat loss, bank reinforcement, and disturbance threaten the species; it is strictly protected. The felt work draws attention to the importance of near-natural water bodies, connections between ponds, and the preservation of basking and nesting sites. The sculptural reduction points to the essential: tranquility, warmth, and safe spaces that amphibians and reptiles need to survive.

Material: Sheep’s wool, glass

Year of Creation: 2024

Technique: Needle felting

ROMAN SNAIL

My Roman Snail, formed from soft sheep’s wool and supported by fine wire, embodies the aesthetics of deceleration. Its shell, built spiral by spiral, is both protection and burden. The real Roman Snail (Helix pomatia) is a master of adaptation: it carries its calcareous shell for a lifetime, repairs cracks independently, and seals it in winter with a solid calcareous lid to rest in the earth for months.

As a hermaphrodite, it stands for biological diversity beyond rigid categories. It loves calcareous, open soils, bushes, and sunny slopes—habitats that often fall victim to intensive agriculture. Its mucus is not just a means of locomotion, but protection against injury, a marvel of natural chemistry.

Its population suffers from the use of pesticides (slug pellets), the destruction of fallow land, and gathering for consumption. In many countries, it is under nature protection. If we allow “wild corners” in the garden, forgo poison, and offer piles of stones as shelter, we give this ancient mollusk a future. It teaches us that a slow pace is not weakness, but a survival strategy.

Material: Sheep’s wool, wire

Year of Creation: 2024

Technique: Needle felting, wire structure