Know-how and textiles have at all times been joined on the hip, from the invention of the loom round 5000 BC to IBM’s first computer systems, mentioned to be impressed by a French “jacquard” weaving machine. A brand new exhibition in Palo Alto examines the enduring hyperlink between the disciplines, that includes nearly 20 artists working in every thing from 4K HDR screens to 24-carat gold thread to one thing known as “digital weaving.”
“Cut From The Same Cloth: Textile & Technology” pushes the boundaries of what defines a textile. “Emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, data collection embedded in threads and new production methods are currently being applied to the apparel industry,” says curator Christine Duval. “At the same time, weaving and tapestry are making a return as a vital art practice of the 21st century.”
Tara de la Garza weaves collectively plastic waste strips and LED lights for “Monument to the Plastocene (Tartan),” for instance, a commentary on our looming ecological disaster. Guillermo Bert creates functioning QR codes from dyed wool that mimic the textile crafts of Chile’s Mapuche individuals, and Wendy Chien’s macrame examines gender and the advanced arithmetic behind knots. In different phrases, that is fascinating stuff – not your grandma’s knitted socks or quilt wall.
Particulars: Open every day till April 6 on the Palo Alto Artwork Middle, 1313 Newell Street, Palo Alto; free, cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter
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