Textile artist Turiya Magadlela was commissioned by the 16th Istanbul Biennial curatorial team to create a site-specific artwork in Turkey. S’Maidical is a series of giant tapestries made of tights, which cover the ceiling, resulting in a cave-like structure. Throughout the opening week, as a performance, she continued to sew tights in the exhibition space, calling attention to labour conditions, gender disparities, as well as the intertwined histories of sexually and racially-grounded violence and abuse. Magadlela’s use of textiles also calls attention to (skin) colour, as well as referring to the context of South Africa, with allusions to black magic and fetish dolls.

The Biennial runs until 10 November.