An Immersive Exhibition at the Heart of the Creative Process of the Iconic British Designer
Until July 15, 2025, the Dr. Robot Gallery in Valencia presents Carrera de Lápices, an exhibition dedicated to Zandra Rhodes, a key figure in British fashion. Curated by Andrey Bartenev and Alexander Khromov, this immersive installation invites visitors into the singular world of the designer — where textile, drawing, and visual memory converge.
Carrera de Lápices: When the Pencil Becomes an Artistic Manifesto
The title of the exhibition, Carrera de Lápices — literally “pencil race” — evokes the joyful frenzy of the creative gesture. At the heart of the project is the pencil : the foundational tool of visual thinking, and the true trigger of a creation in perpetual motion. Visitors step into a faithful and poetic reconstruction of Zandra Rhodes’ London studio on Bermondsey Street, where her collections have come to life for decades.
In a dense, colorful, and organic scenography, scribbled sketches, hand-printed textiles, working tools, and even pieces of furniture form a living tableau. This is not a traditional retrospective, but rather a vibrant tribute to the creative act — to the genesis of the work itself.
photo 2008 by Patrick Anderson
Zandra Rhodes : A Legend of Textile Design
A graduate of the Royal College of Art in 1964, Zandra Rhodes is renowned worldwide for her bold patterns, hand-painted prints, and eccentric silhouettes blending punk, glamour, and avant-garde aesthetics. She has dressed iconic figures such as Freddie Mercury and Princess Diana, consistently pushing the boundaries between fashion, art, and textile craftsmanship.
Her work is featured in some of the world’s most prestigious collections, from the Victoria & Albert Museum to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Far from retiring, Rhodes continues to create and archive her legacy through the Zandra Rhodes Foundation, which supports education and the preservation of textile design.
Between Art, Couture, and Immersive Scenography
What sets Carrera de Lápices apart from traditional fashion exhibitions is its focus on the dynamic nature of the creative process. The studio becomes a mental space — a universe where each sketch, draft, and fabric swatch becomes a fragment of thought. The viewer is invited to wander through a studio that is both chaotic and structured, where the gesture itself takes precedence over the finished object.
Curators Bartenev and Khromov did not seek to freeze the work in time, but rather to stage the act of creation in motion. Through a carefully curated selection of archives, prototypes, and working materials, they reveal the delicate mechanics of inspiration — its rhythm, its pauses, its silences.
🔖 Also to read : Zandra Rhodes, Color as a Creative Signature✨
📰 ART MAG #27
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