Workshop on Interactive Textiles, Copenhagen 2006

The main issue of the workshop is to look at experience with and learn from situations of communication through what we wear and bring that to a higher or different level through the combination of computer technology and the materiality of fabric.

The achievement is to develop systems of what we could call “collaborative or communicating clothing” which will bring forth new sophisticated platforms of expression in terms of fashion, performance art, dance theatre or likewise. The workshop will elaborate on the goals, boundaries and consequences of such new potential for the individual expression.

Goals for the workshop

To investigate and understand the potential of interactive technologies combined with textile material and techniques.
To explore and define a new language for wearable expression.
To explore new paradigms of expressing identities trough smart textiles.
To explore possibilities of applications in related fields like interior design, space design, scenography, choreography, furniture design etc.
To explore different computer-mediated interaction scenarios.
To combine traditional textile practices with computational design.
To create sensual, tactile and aesthetic artifacts combined with computer mediated abilities.

Methods

1) Invevestigation of two possible technologies
– Luminescent wires, films and strips
– Thermochromic ink

2) Exploration of reactive pattern’s typologies

3) Conception of interactive garments – Hands on!

4) Defining the ‘story’ as well as the rules and nature of realtime based interaction mediated by textiles
– Input? pollution, hearth beats, sound level, proximity…
– Output? blinking, fading…
– Rules? when, where, why…

5) Experimenting and playing with the technology

Credit
Design and concept: Hanne-Louise Johannesen and Michel Guglielmi (Diffus Design)
Project partner: Danish School of Design

List of students:
Lycke von Schantz
Catherine Descure
Maria Foverskov
Stefanie Hentschel
Juliette Rodriguez
Anna Weilhartner
Marion fortat
Yu Bobek
Birgit Sørensen