←

Costume Design, Education, Research

⟶
Close-up scene of a performer. Blue and purple stage light illuminates a performer’s layered, torn denim trousers. A glowing, embroidered phoenix motif appears on the fabric, with white outlines and small yellow-orange details. The surrounding stage is dark, with blurred orange and pink light effects in the background.
Blue and purple stage light illuminates a performer’s layered, torn denim trousers. A glowing, embroidered lichen motif appears on the fabric, with white outlines and small yellow-orange details. © Mayar El Bakry
Five performers are on a dark stage lit with blue and green light. Two performers are using a wheelchair, two performers sit or kneel on the floor, and another stands in the centre holding an object. The stage is scattered with cushions, fabric, a skull prop, and soft sculptural elements, while projected text appears faintly on a curtain in the background.
Five performers are on a dark stage lit with blue and green light. Two performers are using a wheelchair,, two performers sit or kneel on the floor, and another stands in the centre holding an object. The stage is scattered with cushions, fabric, a skull prop, and soft sculptural elements, while projected text appears faintly on a curtain in the background. © Mayar El Bakry
Four performers are dancing across a dark stage lit with purple and blue light. Some performers use wheelchairs, while others stand or sit among soft, pillow-like textile sculptures. The performers are fencing in slow motion, echoing the projected text on the backdrop: “Fence in slow motion / Fechtet in Slow Motion.” The stage is arranged with dark cushions, fabric objects, and scattered small materials, creating a dreamlike performance environment.
Four performers are dancing across a dark stage lit with purple and blue light. Some performers use wheelchairs, while others stand or sit among soft, pillow-like textile sculptures. The performers are fencing in slow motion, echoing the projected text on the backdrop: “Fence in slow motion / Fechtet in Slow Motion.” © Mayar El Bakry
A close up of a performer using a wheelchair. Under blue and purple stage light, neon green and orange details on their clothing appear to glow, echoing the bioluminescent atmosphere of the performance. There is a bottle attached with withe straps to the forearm of the performer filled with seeds that make a sound when they move the arm. They are wearing a top from white net fabric that is glowing in the UV-light.
Under blue and purple stage light, neon green and orange details on the performers clothing appear to glow. There is a bottle attached with withe straps to the forearm of the performer filled with seeds that make a sound when they move the arm. They are wearing a top from white net fabric that is glowing in the UV-light. © Mayar El Bakry
Close-up scene of a performer. A performer’s torso and outstretched arm are lit in purple and blue stage light. They wear a knitted torn top with a text stitched on it and a transparent layered skirt with glowing embroidered lichen in yellow, pink, and orange. A green mesh fabric extends from their arm, while blurred orange confetti is glowing across the dark stage in the background.
A performer’s torso and outstretched arm are lit in purple and blue stage light. They wear a knitted torn top with a text stitched on it and a transparent layered skirt with glowing embroidered lichen in yellow, pink, and orange. A green mesh fabric extends from their arm, while blurred orange confetti is glowing across the dark stage in the background. © Mayar El Bakry
Screenshot of an online meeting in gallery view. Around twenty participants are shown, many holding up handmade woven samples made from paper, fabric strips, cords, and other materials. The samples vary in colour, texture, and structure, including grids, layered strips, loops, pleats, and bright woven patterns. One participant appears in the top left, while most other tiles focus on the woven pieces being presented.
Digital tapestry of an online meeting in gallery view. Around twenty participants are holding handmade woven samples made from paper, fabric strips, cords, and other materials. The samples vary in colour, texture, and structure. © Nicole Frei
Close-up of a broken cream-coloured sweater with a hole in it, repaired using Xiaoshan lace. A hand stitches fine beige thread across the frayed opening, creating a small lace-like mend over a white backing material.

Close-up of a broken cream-coloured sweater with a hole in it, being repaired using the xiaoshan lace technique. A hand stitches fine beige thread across the frayed opening, creating a mend.

 © 

Xuechen Wang
Close-up of a Xiaoshan lace textile sample on a plain white surface. Two dark blue jeans scraps are connected by a narrow strip of cream-coloured lace. The denim edges are slightly frayed, and visible brown stitching runs across the fabric, emphasizing the handmade construction.

Close-up of a Xiaoshan lace textile sample on a plain white surface. Two squares of dark blue jeans scraps are connected by a narrow strip of cream-coloured lace.

 © 

Xuechen Wang
Close-up of a Xiaoshan lace textile sample on a plain white surface. Two pale lavender tulle pieces are joined by a narrow strip of beige lace, forming a curved seam across the sample. The tulle edges are irregular and slightly frayed, emphasizing the handmade construction.

A Xiaoshan lace textile sample on a plain white surface. Two pale lavender tulle pieces are joined by a narrow strip of beige lace, forming a curved seam across the sample.

© 

Xuechen Wang
A close-up showing a person working on sewing together a pankou. The Pankou is made of dark green and cream strings.

A person working on sewing together a pankou. The Pankou is made of dark green and cream strings.

 © 

Xuechen Wang
<p>A finished pankou design on a plain white surface. A dark blue knot-like form with angular, branching loops is connected to a pink star-shaped loop by a round white bead. The piece combines structured corded edges with translucent and cream-coloured textile inserts.</p>

A finished pankou design, inspired by a Design of a workshop participant, on a plain white surface. A dark blue knot-like form with angular, branching loops is connected to a pink star-shaped loop by a round white bead.

© 

Xuechen Wang
Close-up of a bamboo brooch attached to a brown and cream checkered skirt. The brooch has a rounded, dome-like shape made from interlaced strips of bamboo, creating an open woven pattern. The warm tones of the bamboo complement the structured checkered fabric of the skirt.

Close-up of a bamboo brooch attached to a brown and cream checkered skirt. The brooch has a rounded, dome-like shape made from interlaced strips of bamboo.

 © 

Xuechen Wang
<p>A bamboo brooch displayed on a white surface. The brooch is woven from thin bamboo strips into an open, irregular, sculptural shape. It was made by weaving the bamboo around a stone so that the finished piece takes on the stone’s contour. Another bamboo element and fine strips appear blurred in the background.</p>

A bamboo brooch displayed on a white surface. The brooch is woven from thin bamboo strips into an open, irregular, sculptural shape. It was made by weaving the bamboo around a stone so that the finished piece takes on the stone’s contour.

 © 

Xuechen Wang
Nicole Frei presents textile samples to a group of visitors at Rong Design Library. She leans over a table and points to small material experiments displayed under clear acrylic boxes, including pieces of Xiaoshan lace and fabric samples. The visitors stand closely around the table, observing the objects in a spacious room with wooden beams, shelves, and warm lighting.

Nicole Frei presents textile samples to a group of visitors at Rong Design Library. She leans over a table and points to small material experiments displayed. The visitors stand closely around the table, observing the objects in a spacious room with wooden beams, shelves, and warm lighting.
Video Documentation of the Recidency at Rong Design Library © Rong Design Library
<p>View through a binocular which show small cacti. They're colours varies from brown to green.</p>

View through a binocular which show small cacti. They're colours varies from brown to green.
Film still from To Succulent by Neyen Pailamilla. A green, crocheted, cactus-like textile form lies on the gravel inside a succulent collection, surrounded by rocks, plant labels, agaves, and long trailing cacti. The textile object visually blends with the surrounding plants while still standing out through its bright colour and handmade texture.

Film still from "to succulent" by Neyen Pailamilla. A green, crocheted, cactus-like textile form lies on the gravel inside a succulent collection, surrounded by rocks, plant labels, agaves, and long trailing cacti.

© Neyen Pailamilla
Screenshot of Deborah Macauley’s contribution to the Research Catalogue. Its a workshop format. Two green text boxes sit on top of a pale, blurred background image. The first box is titled “1. Arrival (20 min)” and lists: silent entry, each participant sits with a plant, and no touching. It includes the prompt: “How many ways could this die?” The second box is titled “2. Kleine Welttour (15 min)” and describes a facilitator reading aloud a short input on plant movement and colonial histories, naming Africa, Madagascar, Chile, and other places.

Screenshot of Deborah Macauley’s contribution of a workshop format. Two green text boxes sit on top of a pale, blurred background image. The first box is titled “1. Arrival (20 min)” and lists: silent entry, each participant sits with a plant, no touching. It includes the prompt: “How many ways could this die?” The second box is titled “2. Kleine Welttour (15 min)” describes a facilitator reading aloud: Africa, Madagascar, Chile, or.

 © Deborah Macauley
<p>Two students stand inside the Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich, surrounded by cacti, succulents, rocks, and plant labels. Both are observing the plants through binoculars: one holds the binoculars up to her eyes, while the other bends forward to look closely at the plants. The greenhouse is characterized by glass walls, metal structures, pipes, and rows of desert plants in the background.</p>

Two students stand inside the Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zurich, surrounded by cacti, succulents, rocks, and plant labels. Both are observing the plants through binoculars: one holds the binoculars up to her eyes, while the other bends forward to look closely at the plants.

 © Nicole Frei
Two small handmade ceramic vessels by Anna-Tia Buss from From Texture to Form Exploration sit on a dark, patterned stone surface. The vessels have irregular, softly folded edges and glossy glazes in pale cream, turquoise, green, and earthy brown tones. The closer vessel has a light blue pool of glaze at the bottom with a fine crackled texture, while the second vessel shows more saturated green and brown glaze marks inside.

"From texture to form exploration" by Anna-Tia Buss shows two small handmade ceramic vessels that are placed on a dark, patterned stone surface. The vessels have irregular, softly folded edges and glossy glazes in pale cream, turquoise, green, and earthy brown tones.

© Anna-Tia Buss
<p>"Nothing in nature exists alone" by MArcel Rickli, Laura Wagner and Ramona Sprenger: The image shows a person grips a dark, knitted piece with both hands. The textile is suspended from above and gathered tightly in the person’s hands. Behind it, a translucent blue and silver curtain reflects the light.</p>

"Nothing in nature exists alone" by MArcel Rickli, Laura Wagner and Ramona Sprenger: The image shows a person grips a dark, knitted piece with both hands. The textile is suspended from above and gathered tightly in the person’s hands, which creates the sound of "Nothing in nature exists alone". Behind it, a translucent blue and silver curtain reflects the light.

 © Marcel Rickli
Wide view of an exhibition space in a wooden attic-like hall with exposed beams, timber floors, and fluorescent lights. Several installations are arranged throughout the room, including wooden display plinths, black wrapped structures, translucent hanging curtains, a projector on a trolley, and a large projection screen with text. A green textile piece is displayed on a low wooden platform in the foreground, while further textile and material works are visible in the background.

Wiew of the exhibition space Maison Shift, which is in a wooden attic-like hall with exposed beams and timber floors. Several installations are arranged throughout the room, including wooden display plinths, black wrapped structures, translucent hanging curtains, a projector on a trolley, and a large projection screen with text. A green knitted carpet is displayed on a low wooden platform in the foreground, while further textile and material works are visible in the background.

 © Marcel Rickli
Close-up of the work by Neyen Paillamilla. A dark green knitted textile carpet with repeated black graphic motifs. An abstract symbol of a tree, arranged across the surface. A strong light reflects across the centre of the fabric, emphasizing the texture of the knit and the contrast between the green ground and black pattern.

Close-up of the work by Neyen Pailamilla. A dark green knitted textile carpet with repeated black graphic motifs. An abstract symbol of a tree, arranged across the surface. A strong light reflects across the centre of the fabric, emphasizing the texture of the knit and the contrast between the green ground and black pattern.

 © Marcel Rickli
<p>A person wearing a pink cap using the hacked brother knitting machine, creating a green fabric.</p>

A person wearing a pink cap using the hacked brother knitting machine, creating a green fabric.

 © 

Nicole Frei
A Screenshot of the presentation at the algorythmic patterns conference. A digital desktop is shown with several overlapping media windows related to textile and electronic experiments. One window contains large text reading “in nature nothing exists alone.” Other windows show a hand interacting with a dark hanging textile, a close-up of electronic cables and a red textile sample on a desk, and a technical diagram of a circuit combined with a woven structure. In the bottom right corner, a small video inset shows four people seated at a table during a presentation or discussion.

A Screenshot of the presentation at the algorythmic patterns conference in Sheffield. A digital desktop is shown with several overlapping media windows related to textile experiments. One window contains large text reading “in nature nothing exists alone.” Other windows show a hand interacting with a dark hanging textile, a close-up of electronic cables and a red textile sample on a desk, and a technical diagram of a circuit combined with a woven structure. In the bottom right corner, a small video inset shows four people seated at a table during a presentation or discussion.

 © Nicole Frei
Basket weaving workshop by Katharina Berger at Hardturm Brache in Zurich. A group of people sit and work together on the grass, using branches, reeds, cord, fabric, and other found materials to make woven and constructed objects. Materials are spread across the ground, while participants work individually and in small groups in a green garden-like setting with trees, tables, and a wooden shelter in the background.
Basket weaving workshop by Katharina Berger at Hardturm Brache in Zurich. A group of students and visitors sit and work together on the grass, using branches, reeds, cord, fabric, and other found materials to make woven and constructed objects. Materials are spread across the ground, while participants work individually and in small groups at the Hardturmbrache in Zurich. © Nicole Frei
<p>A big pot of soup is served next to a handmade bowl of bread and other small bowls with herbs. All the tableware is made by Ursula Vogel.</p>

A big pot of soup is served next to a handmade bowl of bread and other small bowls with herbs. All the tableware is made by Ursula Vogel.
Installation view of a wall-mounted screen in an exhibition space. The screen shows a video still of a grassy field bordered by tall trees, with a small figure standing in the distance. A circular fence is visible in the field, surrounding or marking an area within the landscape. To the right of the screen, printed wall texts with QR codes are displayed, and a pair of headphones hangs below the monitor.

Installation by Micole Favini. A wall-mounted screen at the exhibitions space les complices* shows a video of a grassy field bordered by tall trees, with a small figure standing in the distance. A circular fence is visible in the field, surrounding or marking an area within the landscape. To the right of the screen a pair of headphones hangs below the monitor.

 © Micol Favini
Scene from Pleasure Creature Comforts by Criptonite. A performer is on their knees, bent forwards on a soft surface under intense red and pink stage lighting. They wear headphones and a woven neck-holder top made from leftover blue and pink fabric. The cords visible across the back are the fastening of the top. The close-up framing emphasizes the performer’s folded posture, the saturated colour, and the sensory atmosphere of the performance.
A performer is on their knees, bent forwards on a soft surface under intense red and pink stage lighting. They wear headphones and a woven neck-holder top made from leftover blue and pink fabric. There are strapts of textiles attached to the nails in pink. © Yuri Laura Rivas Kaufmann
Scene from Pleasure Creature Comforts by Criptonite. Three performers pose together on a large, round, pale inflatable platform in a dark stage space. They wear colourful, layered costumes in pink, green, black, and brown, with sculptural accessories and theatrical makeup. The group leans closely together under soft stage lighting, creating an intimate and playful tableau.
Three performers pose together on a large, round, pale inflatable platform in a dark stage space. They wear colourful, layered costumes in pink, green, black, and brown, with sculptural accessories and glitter makeup. © Yuri Laura Rivas Kaufmann
A white and a black performer using wheelchairs move across a dark stage under pink, purple, and blue lighting. They are connected by a pink strap or fabric band, with one performer reaching towards the other while the second extends an arm outward. A translucent fabric tent that looks like a jellyfish and blurred audience members are visible in the background, creating an immersive performance atmosphere.
A white and a black performer using wheelchairs move across a dark stage under pink, purple, and blue lighting. They are connected by a pink strap or fabric band, with one performer reaching towards the other while the second extends an arm outward. © Yuri Laura Rivas Kaufmann
A white performer lies sideways on a pink surface in front of red and black draped curtains, looking outward with one arm extended. They wear a dark blue woven top with matching textured arm pieces, with strands of fabric attached to the nails. The pale pink trousers are made from soft fabric with ruffled details and taper into rounded, pointed forms that cover the feet. A zipper in the middle can connect the legs, transforming the trousers into a tongue-like shape.
A white performer lies sideways on a pink surface in front of red and black draped curtains, looking outward with one arm extended. They wear a dark blue woven top with matching textured arm pieces, with strands of fabric attached to the nails. The pale pink trousers are made from soft fabric with ruffled details and taper into rounded, pointed forms that cover the feet. A zipper in the middle can connect the legs, transforming the trousers into a tongue-like shape. © Yuri Lura Rivas Kaufmann
<p>A performer with dark brown hair in a blue woven costume is curled forward on a black dance floor, surrounded by reflective puddles of water. Long loose textile strands hang from the costume.</p>

A performer with dark brown hair in a blue woven costume is curled forward on a black dance floor, surrounded by reflective puddles of water. Long loose textile strands hang from the costume.

 © 

Maxi Schmitz
A white-skinned performer stands in front of a shimmering blue and silver curtain, wearing a full-body woven textile costume in shades of blue, grey, cream, and pale green. Long loose strands hang from the sleeves and chest, adding movement and texture to the garment. The performer’s eyes are closed and their face is lifted slightly toward the light, creating a quiet, reflective mood within the staged setting.
A white-skinned performer stands in front of a shimmering blue and silver curtain, wearing a full-body woven textile costume in shades of blue and grey. Long loose strands hang from the sleeves and chest, adding movement and texture to the garment. The performer’s eyes are closed and their face is lifted slightly toward the light. © Maxi Schmitz
Two performers stand between shimmering blue curtain panels in a stage setting. They wear colourful bathrobes made from old towels and patchworked together in pale pink, light blue, orange, and blue. One performer reaches toward a vertical pole while smiling widely; the other stands slightly behind them.
Two performers stand between shimmering blue curtain panels in a stage setting. They wear colourful bathrobes made from old towels and patchworked together in pale pink, light blue, orange, and blue. One performer reaches toward a vertical pole while smiling widely; the other stands slightly behind them. © Maxi Schmitz
A portrait of a white-skinned performer, who stands in front of a shimmering blue and silver curtain, wearing a blue woven textile costume with light blue cords and loose strands hanging from the shoulders and chest. Bright backlighting creates a glowing effect around the performer and reflects across the textured curtain, emphasizing the layered blue tones of the costume and stage environment.
A portrait of a white-skinned performer, who stands in front of a shimmering blue and silver curtain, wearing a blue woven textile costume with light blue cords and loose strands hanging from the shoulders and chest. Bright backlighting creates a glowing effect around the performer and reflects across the textured curtain. © Maxi Schmitz
<p>A group of performers stands in pink-blue stage lighting while a camera operator films them up close. Their upcycled costumes combine sporty silhouettes, layered panels, and bold color blocking.</p>

A group of performers stands in pink-blue stage lighting while a camera operator films them up close. Their upcycled costumes combine sporty silhouettes, layered panels, and bold color blocking.

 © 

Sepp de Vries
<p>A group of performers moves together across a dark stage, creating a sense of rhythm and collective energy. Their costumes are assembled from upcycled fabric squares, forming sporty silhouettes with vivid color blocking.</p>
A group of performers moves together across the stage, creating a sense of rhythm and collective energy. Their costumes are assembled from upcycled fabric squares, forming sporty silhouettes with vivid color blocking. © 

Sepp de Vries
<p>A white skinned person wears the design, showing the embroidery. </p>

A white skinned person wears the design, showing the embroidery.

© 

Lucia Hunziker
© 

Lucia Hunziker
© 

Lucia Hunziker
© 

Lucia Hunziker

Nicole Frei

is an educator, costume and stage designer working across disciplines somewhere between design and performing arts. Nicole’s work explores artistic methods with chronic illness like the practice of Cripping, challenges production methods in the performing arts, and emphasizes sustainability in her processes through traditional crafts. Since 2021, she has been working in the Master of Transdisciplinarity Studies program at the Zurich University of the Arts.

Grants and recidencies:
Recidency Fellow Instituto Svizzero Milano, 2026/27
ACME Studio Residency London, Aargauer Kuratorium, 2026
Grant 2024, Aargauer Kuratorium, 2024
Residency Rong Design Library, Pro Helvetia Shanghai, 2024
Finalist Swiss Design Awards (BAK), 2024
Research Grant, Aargauer Kuratorium, 2023
Education Grant, Aargauer Kuratorium, 2021
Dis-Tanz-Solo Scholarship, Dachverband Tanz Deutschland, Neustart Kultur Förderung, 2021
Denkzeit Scholarship, The Cultural Foundation of the Free State of Saxony, 2020
Finalist Swiss Design Awards (BAK), 2017
Roman-Clemens Prize, 2014

Connect
mail@nicole-frei.com
Instagram
LinkedIn

Bioluminiscence

Tanzhaus Zurich, 2025

In a post-apocalyptic setting, four disabled performers connect and create a lush soundscape with their essential tools. With the help of Memory, they cast spells to honour their disabled ancestors and transform the world around them. Criptonite reclaims survival and challenges assumptions about resilience.

The costumes were created through upcycling and textile techniques such as stitching and UV-reactive embroidery. Second-hand garments were reworked into outfits that reflected both the aesthetic vision of the piece and the accessibility needs of the performers. Access tools were integrated into the costumes, including distinct sound elements for each character to support blind audiences.

The design process emphasised simplicity, improvisation and collaboration, beginning with a team workshop to collect textures and shapes for the characters. By cripping conventional theatre practices with slowing down timelines, simplifying processes, and embedding access as an aesthetic and structural principle rather than an afterthought, I could do research about crip methodologies.

Artistic Direction and Performance: (Criptonite) Nina Mühlemann, Edwin Ramirez; Development&Performance: Flor Adam Méchain, Roy Fischer; Dramaturgy: Alexandrina Hemsley; Dramaturgy, Audiodescription: Noah Mundinger; Light: Tina Bleuler, Patrik Rimann; Collaboration on Audio Description and Performance: Brianna Deproose; Sound Design: Susanne Affolter; Scenography: Therese Indermaur; Costume Design: Nicole Frei; Costume Assistant: Denisa Svachova; Production: Laeticia Blättler (Moin Moin Productions); Production Assistant: Pauline Della Bianca; Sign Language Interpreter: Tamara Bangerter; Deaf Interpreter: Monika Goldefusova; Dramaturgical Advisor Tanzhaus Zurich: Lisa Letnansky; Consulting for Sound Effects: Marquis’ McGee; Photography: Mayar El Bakry

Weaving as World-Making: Entangled Networks and Temporal Resistance

Futuress* & Dezentrum, Zurich/Online, 2025

In the workshop for Futuress* (co-hosted by Dezentrum), a feminist publisher and learning platform, we explored digital networks and the politics of time through simple weaving techniques.


Participants experimented with paper, string, and wire to think about weaving as both a craft and a system of connection. Through making and discussion, we examined how patterns, stories, and temporalities become encoded in material and digital forms. The session ended with a small collective “digital tapestry” compiling participants’ woven pieces and reflections.
Focusing on remote accessibility with a sensory component, is a way to explore hands-on, collaborative workshops, making it more inclusive for people who cannot attend in person.

Workshop host: Nicole Frei; Project coordinator Dezentrum: Ramona Sprenger; Project coordinator Dezentrum: Jeannie Schneider; Project coordinator Futuress*: Mio Kojima

Craft encouters – about gaps and connections

Recidency at Rong Design Library, Pro Helvetia Shanghai, 2024

Bamboo weaving, Xiaoshan lace and Pankou making are techniques that connect things together, emphasise gaps and relate to textiles. Working with second-hand garments often means finding ways to connect materials and deal with broken garments. The perfection of traditional Chinese craftsmanship has the ability to show the beauty of gaps with upcycling.

Collaborative Pankou: The pankou is a fastener commonly used for the qipao, a traditional Chinese dress that has evolved since the Qing dynasty. In order to create new pankou designs, a workshop was held with me in the PINWU design studio, in which the eight participants developed pankou designs together. The workshop was intended to emphasise that designing things is a collaborative process in which people share their knowledge with each other.

Bamboo brooches: Bamboo is a local material that grows in the neighbourhood. Weaving is a technique that can be applied to many materials such as textiles, bamboo, metal, etc. There are various brooches that can connect the bamboo weave to the textile. The brooch can be attached to the textile with the material tension of a bamboo strap. The brooch emphasises holes or other details of a textile.

Lace links: Xiaoshan lace is a handicraft from Hangzhou. As the craft originated in Venice, the technique tells a story between Europe and China. Xiaoshan lace uses a needle and various patterns to create a three-dimensional effect, creating a contrast by experimenting with different materials and patterns. In the upcycled jumper, the Xiaoshan lace is used to close the holes and emphasise the gaps with the lace.

Assistant: Xuechen Wang; Support: Lailai Bamboo Studio, Jing er Pankou Studio, Fu Xiaoshan lace Studio, PINWU Studio

Learning from Succulents–Practices of Resilience and Care

Lab Minor Art & Science, Master Transdisciplinary Studies, Zurich University of the Arts, 2025

The teaching modul “Learning from Succulents–Practices of Resilience and Care” during Autumn semester 25/26, explored the intersection of plant survival strategies and artistic practices of resilience.

Plants with succulent syndrome such as Cacti, Agave, Aloe, Crassula, Echeveria, Euphorbia etc. have evolved through peculiar morphologies. They thrive in extreme environments through different adaptation methods like water storage, CAM photosynthesis, and structural defenses. What can we learn from these care mechanisms for our own artistic practices in the face of ecological and political crises?

In collaboration with the Sukkulenten-Sammlung Zürich, we engaged with the science behind plant resilience, examining tissue structures through cross-sections and considering parallels to artistic methodologies. Interacting with the gardener Miriam Koch and the cultural mediator Verena Plath from the Sukkulenten-Sammlung gave us the opportunity to look behind care practices for and by plants. We investigated how existential uncertainty have been transformed into creative strategies, drawing on historical and contemporary artistic responses to harsh environments.

In an exposition in the Research Catalogue, the students present the experiments with different ways of documenting the findings. These contributions take the form of written reflections, visual essays, experimental texts, material exploration and performative elements.

Co-teaching Team: Alisha Dutt Islam, Nicole Frei; Students: Karya Anliak, Neyen Paillamilla, Anna-Tia Buss, Maria Lorenzo Souto, Deborah Macauley, Jason Oberman, Leila Saad, ; Team Sukkulentensammlung: Verena Plath, Miriam Koch, Alisha Dutt Islam

Weaving Sustainable Digital Future Stories

Lab Cooperation Arts-Sciences, Master Transdisciplinary Studies, Zurich University of the Arts, 2024

The lab explored the intersections of weaving, writing, digitality, and climate discourse. Taking metaphors such as fabric, network or texture literally, we experimented with weaving as both craft and conceptual method.

At the centre stood a 1970s Brother knitting machine, a hybrid between analogue and digital, which became a tool to translate discourse into material form. Building on the Sustainability Discourses project (DIZH, University of Zurich), we traced connections between discourse networks, sensory experience, and modes of representation.

The outcomes were presented in an exhibition at Maison Shift in Zurich and further developed into a paper, which we presented at the Algorithmic Patterns Conference in Sheffield, and published in September 2025. The lab was jointly supervised by ZHdK lecturers and researchers from the Sustainability Discourses project and brought together ZHdK students and doctoral researchers from the University of Zurich.

Co-teaching Team: Irene Vögeli, Mario Angst, Nicole Frei, Ludwig Lederer; Curators: Nicole Frei, Ludwig Lederer; Students: Neyen Pailamilla, Heike Götze, Charles Kwong, Garrick Lauterbach, Ula Liagaite, Sébastien Mitra, Hans-Jakob Mühlethaler, Ramona Sprenger, Marcel Rickli, Hiba Tahhan

Vessels– Applying the Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction

Exhibition at les complices*, Lab Master Transdisciplinary Studies, Zurich university of the arts, 2023

The practice-based Lab takes Ursula K. Le Guin’s 1986 essay The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction as its starting point. Drawing on Elisabeth Fisher’s reflections on the vessel as one of humanity’s oldest cultural tools, Le Guin proposes the container instead of the spear as a metaphor for storytelling, a means to hold, connect and continue narratives beyond heroic structures.

Building on this shift, the lab applies Le Guin’s theory transdisciplinarily, asking what the vessels within our own artistic practices are, how they are produced, what they collect and how they generate narratives. Students designed and crafted their own vessels, used them to gather material and translated these collections into stories. Alongside reading Le Guin’s essay and contemporary texts, a basket-weaving workshop grounded the metaphor in practice.

The lab culminated in an exhibition at Les Complices* Zurich.

Co-teaching Team: Caroline Baur, Nicole Frei; Students: Kirill Agafonov, Noe Arnold, Jonas Balmer, Anna Bila, Alisha Dutt Islam, Hannah Essler, Micol Favini, Valentin Hehl, Selina Hirsch, Kaija Knauer, Garrick Lauterbach, Ludwig Lederer, Ula Liagaite, Jonathan Lorand, Hans-Jakob Mühlethaler, Delnia Rahimzadegan, Daniel Riniker, Hiba Tahhan, Ursula Vogel; Basket Weaving Workshop: Katharina Berger

Creature Comforts

Tanzhaus Zurich, 2023

“Welcome to the microcosmos of Creature Comforts, where we learn about Gullibilius, a giant creature living in symbiosis with its six tiny inhabitants. The performers Edwin Ramirez, Nina Mühlemann, Paloma Ayala supported by Jenn Unfug, Kamran Behrouz, V Pierzyński and Alessandro Schiattarella will be your guides and hosts, inviting you to explore and perceive sensuality in new and unexpected ways.

Being aware that we all experience our surroundings very differently, Creature Comforts imagines a world of access, comfort and wonder for many different creatures and bodyminds. Be guided through an individually tailored experience and celebrate the Joy of Missing Out in a multilayered, immersive performance.”

Artistic Direction and Performance: (Criptonite) Nina Mühlemann, Edwin Ramirez; Performance: V Pierzyński, Alessandro Schiattarella, Paloma Ayala, Kamran Behrouz, Jenn Unfug; Dramaturgy: Nele Solf; Dramaturgical Advisor Audiodescription: Noah Mundinger; Light: Iris Rohr; Technical Direction and Video: Marek Lamprecht; Sound Design: Susanne Affolter; Scenography: Therese Indermaur; Costume: Nicole Frei; Costume Assistant: Anna-Thea Jäger; Purple Octopus Costume: Kamran Behrouz; Production: Laeticia Blättler (Moin Moin Productions); Production Assistant: Jenn Unfug; Outside Eye: Kathrin Veser; Internship: Maria Kattner; Dramaturgical Advisor Tanzhaus Zurich: Simon Froehling; Illustration: Kamran Behrouz; Photography: Yuri Laura Rivas Kaufmann

Salty Tears

Community Center GZ Buchegg Zurich, 2021

My critique of normative time structures takes shape in the celebration of slowness inherent in textile work.

I researched methods that enable sustainable design and researched techniques that are particularly suitable for upcycling. I experimented with elastic jersey fabrics, which are not normally ideal for the handloom, in order to produce a fabric that is as adaptable as possible for various body shapes. The dance piece for all age groups from the age of four is about dealing with loss, the process of consolation and the question of what tears actually are or can be.

Performance: Caitlin Friedly, Matthias Grandjean; Art Director: Leonie Graf; Dramaturgy and Concept: Ketty Ghnassia; Set and Costume Design: Nicole Frei; Set Design Assistant: Lilli Unger; Concept and Set Construction: Norman Ries; Light Design: Sina Knecht; Music and Sound Design: Gessi Zini; Sound Design: Siavash Namehshiri; Technical Support: Robert Meyer; Photography: Maxi Schmitz; Internship: Andrea Köppen; Video: Anaïs Bourgogne, Paola Sabbarese; Production: Annina Birrer Alexandra Adler

Aufhören

Theaterhaus Gessnerallee Zurich, 2020–2021

"If it were that easy, I would have stopped doing it a long time ago." The recklessness of Boomers, the cynicism of Generation X and the passivity of Millennials are driving the youngest generation to take responsibility. Their willingness to break familiar routines and break new ground is making history. But a system is not overthrown without resistance. For those who see their standards in danger also raise their voices. Cries of protest, demanding the ideal of freedom and proclaiming their own oppression, can be heard from both the left and the right. In Aufhören, 15 players from LAB dance out of line and across the stage as they ask themselves: "Who do I have to conform to? What does protesting mean? When should I stop?"

Performance: Balz Spengler, Elias Gerber, Federica Sparapani, Fiona Landolt, Hannes Krummenacher, Ilja Gebistorf, Leonie Finger, Levin Geser, Loukina Tille, Maimuna Barry, Noémie Märki, Patryk Becker, Samiel Mehari, Sixtine Dromigny, Svenja Duscha; Theater pedagogy: Deborah Imhof; DoP: Katarina Tereh; Dramaturgy: Dominik Wolfinger; Scenography and Costume: Nicole Frei; Collaboration costume: Lina Mayer; Movement: Lukas Schmocker; Assistant: Meret Zangger; Technical supervisor: Demian Jakob; Outside eye: Marcel Grissmer, Elina Wunderle; Photography: Sepp de Vries

Queering the norm

Bischoff Gamma x Institute of Fashion Design, FHNW, 2019

Embroidery and Underwear/Swimwear Design to question the binarity in Embroidery as well as underwear Designs. The Design can adapt to de different needs of different bodytypes.

Photography: Lucia Hunziker ; Model: Sascha Rijkeboer

<p>Portrait of Nicole Frei. She is a white female, with wavy brown, shortish hair. She is standing among large cacti and succulent plants, wearing a black shirt and looking directly at the camera. The foreground and background are softly blurred by long plant leaves and cactus forms.</p>

Portrait of Nicole Frei. She is a white female, with wavy brown, shortish hair. She is standing among large cacti and succulent plants, wearing a black shirt and looking directly at the camera. The foreground and background are softly blurred by long plant leaves and cactus forms.

 © Johanna Saxen