Research: Out of Place
Investigating the relationship between textiles and technology to reclaim the old and shape the new.
Research summary
Research summary
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October 2022
The Out of Place project explores the interaction and negotiation between humans and technology, and the exchange between physical and virtual space. It’s a global research initiative that spans disciplines and cultures to highlight how textiles can reclaim the old to shape the new.
The project is interested in new materialism in the expanded field of textile art. It focuses on interactive coded interfaces, digital technologies and making things for public spaces and human interaction.
Textiles are a physical medium that form an interesting contrast with digital technology and the concept of place. Bridging the gap between in-person and digital experiences offers insight into the future of textiles.
The exhibition includes work from nine artists who use different, innovative methods, including:
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digitisation through virtual movement
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3D printed textile interfaces
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interactive textile interfaces with facial recognition technology and coding
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non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
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traditional handmaking
The research project inspired a panel discussion at the Textile and Place Conference 2021. The discussion was chaired by Kate Egan, Prof Assadour Markarov and Hu RenRen — the director of the Hanshan Art Museum, Suzhou. This will be included as a paper in the Journal of Cloth and Culture 2023.
Research outputs
The Out of Place exhibition website.
The Textile and Place conference website.
An academic paper will also be included in the special issue of Textile: The Journal of Cloth and Culture 2023.
Gallery
Research team
Research team
Lead researcher
Co-researchers
Prof Assadour Markarov
Prof Shui Hui
Ruan Yulai
Hannah Jones
Andrew King (SODA)
Mark McCleish
Mark Beecroft
Clare Calveley
Christina Hesford