Research Workshops

Here is a selection of workshops that the MA Textile Futures team have been involved in.

2007

ACADIA 2007 Conference: Expanding Bodies

Metabolic Network sensory workshop 1-2 October, 2007

Metabolism, in living systems, has two aspects: anabolism (which means building up), and catabolism (or breaking down). These processes, part of all living systems, carry a particular resonance with respect to present-day concerns about sustainable environments.

Workshop organised by Sarah Bonnemaison and Christine Macy.

This two-day workshop, on the theme of “Metabolic Network”, brings together five researchers working in the area of electronic sensing in art and design, with a special focus on textiles and architectural-scale applications. The network will be a large installation made from a field of suspended fibers that have different properties: such as elasticity, conductivity, dissolvability, or luminosity. By joining the fibers together, a field of possibilities open up and patterns within the field emerge. The use of sensors and actuators, both electronic and mechanical, will provide dynamic and responsive features in the network. The result will be a metabolic network that emerges, acts and self-destructs over the course of the two-day period.

The metabolic network will serve as a playground to explore the potentials of sensors and actuators hooked up to a responsive architecture. It will serve as the common medium for the work of the five invited researchers, each expert in some aspect of electronic sensing, textile design or architectural form-making.

Workshop leaders are: • Philip Beesley (architect and artist, associate professor and co-director, Integrated Centre for Visualization, Design and Manufacturing, University of Waterloo) http://www.philipbeesleyarchitect.com • Carole Collet (course director MA Textile Futures, Central Saint Martins College of Art, London) http://carolecollet.com; http://www.textilefutures.co.uk • Mette Ramsgard Thomsen (architect and researcher, head of Centre for Interactive Technologies and Architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen) http://cita.karch.dk/citapeople_mrt.html • Rachel Wingfield and Mathias Gmachl (Wingfield is an electronic textile designer and lecturer at Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art, London; Gmachl is a multidisciplinary artist and researcher. Together, they form the design research studio Loop.ph, based in London) http://www.loop.ph

Workshop organizers and sponsors: The sensory workshop theme was established by Ron Wakkary (Simon Fraser University). Workshop coordinators are Sarah Bonnemaison and Christine Macy (Dalhousie University) and Robin Muller (NSCAD University). The workshop is sponsored by the Canadian Design Research Network (CDRN), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Research and Creation Program, and the Atlantic Innovation Fund.

Brainstorming session is London

Workshop in action

Please contact Sarah Bonnemaison (Sarah.Bonnemaison@Dal.Ca) or Christine Macy (christine.macy@dal.ca) for further information about the Metabolic Network Sensory Workshop.

Luminous Green, Foam Workshop, April-May 2007

Images from Luminous Green: A retreat, workshop and symposium on ecologically inspired and sustainable worlds
27 April - 05 May 2007 Belgium, organised by FOAM

Carole Collet , Rachel Wingfield and Mathias Gmachl at Luminous Green

There is nothing more rewarding than spending a week with like-minded creative people and this is what the Luminous Green project was all about. Maja Kuzmanovic and the Foam Team carefully engineered the coming together of a group of designers, scientists, grass roots activists, policy makers, economists, artists, educationalists, cooks and engineers. Debating on our future world and our ecologically inspired practices and beliefs was our focus for a week. Removed from our daily routine, we brainstormed, debated, argued, proposed and transposed ideas.

In the midst of the Ardennes, amongst deserted greenery and puzzled villagers, we questioned and challenged our respective roles in a world demanding ecological actions. (images). At “La Classe” we worked on transcending the limitations of our respective practices by exploring the potential of joining forces. The presence of an economist and a European policy maker gave us an invaluable perspective in terms of how leading businesses and European bureaucrats deal with the integration of environmental values in their corporate environments. And despite a fairly grey picture and increasing environmental damage, a positive attitude emerged fairly quickly: one that places design and creativity at the heart of the debate rather than as a last minute add on. The environmental debate is a complex one, and demands multifarious problem solving approaches. Too often, design is a problem maker but, once integrated, ecological values become part of the creative process and design is a powerful tool to reshape our ecologies.

The Luminous Green symposium held in the Groenhoven Estate, near Brussels presented world wide projects and actions that made a difference in the field. Jennifer Leonard, co-author with Bruce Mau of “Massive Change” decided to pick the brains of entire audience to come up with positive actions in the field of transportation, urbanism, education, energy use and food. The outcomes will be published and podcasted on http://www.worldchanging.com.

Vasu from the Barefoot College showed us how passion, commitment and self-belief can achieve the most amazing results. The Barefoot College started in the 70s. “The College addresses problems of drinking water, girl education, health & sanitation, rural unemployment, income generation, electricity and power, as well as social awareness and the conservation of ecological systems in rural communities. The College benefits the poorest of the poor who have no alternatives.” (http://www.barefootcollege.org). Their solar programme was of particular interest for the luminous green symposium. As part of their education, children are trained to use solar powered systems to make lanterns and solar cookers. This enables the community to be self sufficient in terms of energy as well as producing solar powered craft artifacts sold worldwide.

Marko Peljhan from the Interpolar project ITASK, introduced the notion of art installation as a role model for good practice in the field of clean and self sustaining eco-systems. “I-TASC is a decentralized network of individuals and organisations working collaboratively in the fields of art, engineering, science and technology on the interdisciplinary development and tactical deployment of renewable energy, waste recycling systems, sustainable architecture and open-format, open-source media” (http://www.interpolar.org). The next project will take place in Antartica, and will test out art, technology and engineering ideas in the most unwelcoming environment.

The conclusion of the symposium was that despite a gloomy environmental picture, more than ever there is a growing number of individuals and organisations prepared to make a difference with real effective actions, not just words. The symposium was a key stage for most of us and initiated a fruitful and resourceful network of eco-creatives. Many future projects are now being discussed and the full report on the Luminous Green project will shortly be available on http://www.fo.am.

The creative workshop that followed the symposium was the real test: how best to put the theory into practice. In small groups we worked on testing ideas of self-sustaining systems. The work was showcased in the Open Lab on the 5th of May, when the public was invited to interrogate, challenge and engage with our “products”.

CaroleCollet
Course Director, MA Textile Futures, May 2007