Technology and textiles have always been joined at the hip, from the invention of the loom around 5000 BC to IBM’s first computers, said to be inspired by a French “jacquard” weaving machine. A new exhibition in Palo Alto examines the enduring link between the disciplines, featuring almost 20 artists working in everything from 4K HDR screens to 24-carat gold thread to something called “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 together plastic waste strips and LED lights for “Monument to the Plastocene (Tartan),” for example, a commentary on our looming ecological crisis. Guillermo Bert creates functioning QR codes from dyed wool that mimic the textile crafts of Chile’s Mapuche people, and Wendy Chien’s macrame examines gender and the complex mathematics behind knots. In other words, this is fascinating stuff – not your grandma’s knitted socks or quilt wall.
Details: Open daily until April 6 at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road, Palo Alto; free, cityofpaloalto.org/artcenter