A recent visit to the Design Museum's current exhibition 'The Future Is Here' focuses on design, new materials and manufacturing technologies; highlighting some of the most recent and exciting innovations in what some are claiming to be a new industrial revolution. Entering the exhibit introduces a historical context of past industrial manufacturing right up to the present day. Alongside this runs a live modern making factory displaying some of the most up to date and innovative making processes, with shelves of example artifacts produced on display for visitor interaction. 3D-printing, laser cutting/ etching and CAD modelling were a few active processes drawing in an engaged audience in awe.
Amongst the main display of products were 3D-printed implantable skull plates, robotic manufacturing, hackable products, open source platforms, computing hardware and material processes to name a few. What was most exciting for Weft Lab to view was Philippa Brock's jacquard woven fabrics, using on loom finishing techniques to produce 3D textiles. Combining traditional textile manufacturing with technologically advanced capabilities demonstrates the potential of this relationship for new possibilities. Textiles are one of the oldest forms of material production and the exhibition re-confirms its constant position as a novel making method alongside new evolving practicies. The possibilities of combining design, making, technology and manufacturing is proving to push boundaries and open new exploratory levels of design.
Earlier this month the 2013 eTextiles Summer Camp event took place in Paillard France, generously hosted by Paillard Centre d’Art Contemporain & Résidence d’Artistes and meticulously organised by Mika Satomi and Hannah Perner-Wilson of Kobakant.
Five full days of packed e-textiles thinking, doing, making, talking and sharing amongst some of the most enthused and involved e-textile practitioners/ artists/ designers/ researchers and techies. The theme for this year's event was based on 'soft and slow e-textiles', where the focus was on making processes involving time intensive craft methods and hand making in collaboration with new technologies.The working space and local environment was perfect for such an event and could not have been more apt as was far removed from modern lifestyles and ubiquitous communications.
As a means of introduction all the participants gave a five minute presentation of their work in pecha-kucha style over our first group dinner. It was quite overwhelming to know that everyone in the room shared the same interests in e-textiles and there was a positive understanding, acceptance and appreciation of the type of work being executed by all.
Two further days were filled with e-textile workshop activities and skill sharing. Pre-selected participants organised and led these workshops to disseminate their specific skill set and share their knowledge. Participants taking part in the workshops were able to learn skills such as Arduino programming, heatable e-textile circuits, 3D printing for e-textiles, vinyl cutting, fibre optic weaving, thermochromic screen-printing, copper batik e-textiles, conductive lace making, e-textiles touch pad surfaces to name a few! It was quite a rare opportunity to have such a diverse range of expertise all in one place with the openness to teach and learn from one another.
After exploring a range of e-textile techniques and some lengthy discussions about the processes of these methods and brainstorming future potential applications of such materials, the participants were given an opportunity for group projects. Based on the topics of discussions and new ideas thought about since, several group project concepts evolved; including a 'power generating e-textiles', 'magic e-textile carpet', a 'tree loom', a 'live global e-textile swatch book' and 'underwater e-textiles hats' were some of the inventions pursued.
