Lecture series: DIGITAL TOOLS FOR TEXTILE ART EDUCATION

The lecture series DIGITAL TOOLS FOR TEXTILE ART EDUCATION explores open-source educational tools that integrate textile craftsmanship, physical prototyping, and digital programming. Over time, textile production has evolved into highly specialized disciplines, creating a divide between artisanal craftsmanship and industrial manufacturing. While the textile industry relies on high-performance automated machines with proprietary software, textile education—particularly in artistic and design contexts—remains largely rooted in traditional handcraft techniques.

As a result, educational institutions, including public schools, are often bound to teaching methods that fail to reflect contemporary textile practices. At the same time, designers and artists lack access to tools that facilitate experimentation with digital fabrication or localized, decentralized production. 

DIGITAL TOOLS FOR TEXTILE ART EDUCATION  presents alternative approaches: open-source, hands-on educational tools that foster interdisciplinary learning by combining textiles, programming, mechanical engineering, and creative expression. By merging established textile construction methods with low-cost digital fabrication technologies—such as 3D-printed machine components, commercially available microcontrollers, and open-source software—these initiatives make digitally controlled textile production accessible to a wider audience.

With DIGITAL TOOLS FOR TEXTILE ART EDUCATION, we aim to bring together experts from the fields of art, academia, education, industry, and technology. The goal is to initiate dialogue around basic digital education within the Austrian educational context, while also drawing on international perspectives and networks. The lecture series offers a space for collaborative learning and critical reflection on the use of digital tools in artistic education.

DIGITAL TOOLS FOR TEXTILE ART EDUCATION is organized by Ebba Fransén Waldhör, Walter Lunzer, Paul-Reza Klein und Ute Neuber.

17. March 2025 18:30 – HILO Spinning machine, Sara Díaz Rodriguez
07. April 2025 18:30 – TurtleStitch, Andrea Mayr-Stalder
05. May 2025 18:30 – StitchLab, die Angewandte
02. June 2025 18:30 – Prof. Irene Posch, technik.textil

Vordere Zollamtsstraße 7, FLUX1 (3rd floor)