Black wool

An exhibition that explores the bonds of family tradition and the symbolism of dark wool in Argentine Patagonia. In the wool industry, colored sheep are called “black sheep”: when a lamb is born that is not white, it is separated from the flock because it “contaminates” the breed. In this way, large producers eliminate diversity in the name of profitability, while the women spinners of the Patagonian steppe recover it as an essential material to sustain their traditions and customs. For them, colored wool is both an economic resource and a legacy of identity and family memory. Where the industry sees waste, they recognize a wide palette of hues: bay, roan, dappled, brown, black, rose-gray, spotted. As a woman born into a family tied to the wool industry in Argentine Patagonia, Laura Ferro rethinks this textile universe and proposes new narratives that weave connections with the territory—without excluding diversity—through photography, installation, and video. The exhibition will feature an experience in the gallery that brings together photography, installation, and video. A sensory journey that invites reflection.