Thinking Through Making: Soft Systems

Thursday, February 25, 2021 13.00 TR / 10.00 UK

Istanbul Modern and Royal College of Art (RCA), welcome all designers and researchers working on the intersection of textiles and technology to the event “Thinking through Making: Soft Systems”.

RCA, Textiles Soft Systems Research Group focuses on developments within physical attributes to soft materials and combining them with digital assemblies. An ecosystem is developed which questions the materiality of our lives, pioneering alternative ways of thinking and making that transcend digital and physical boundaries informed by a robust background in material knowledge and emerging fabrication technologies.

In this event, the panelists will share their thoughts on soft systems at the forefront of their creative practice and describe how “Thinking Through Making” influences their thought processes. Audiences are invited to join online to explore creative processes of makers and designers and the materials in the textile series of “Thinking Through Making”.

Event Moderator:
Dr Berdan Kalav, Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Textile Technologies Design, Faculty Member

Panelists:
Anne Toomey, Head of Textiles Programme, Royal College of Art

Dr Lynn Tandler, Tutor in Weave and Yarn, Royal College of Art

Dr Amy Winters, Founder of material-technology studio Rainbow Winters, Postdoctoral Researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology

The newly launched project “Crafting Technology for Textiles”, funded by Art and Humanities Research Council and Newton Fund, explores emerging soft smart systems and new materials fields for local artists and designers.

For more information on the project, please click here and reach out to us, via:

Assoc Prof Dr Elif Özden Yenigün, Senior Tutor in Textiles Programme, Royal College of Art

Melodi Gülbaba, Assistant Curator, Istanbul Modern

Anne Toomey, Head of Textiles Programme, Royal College of Art
Anne Toomey is a textiles specialist with national and international experience in research-based design, product development, manufacture and postgraduate education. With a background as a commercial designer and over 21 years in academia, Anne has a track record of initiating innovative approaches to cross-disciplinary collaborations between industry and academe

Dr Lynn Tandler, Tutor in Weave and Yarn, Royal College of Art
Dr Lynn Tandler is a weaver and academic researcher. After graduating from the Royal College of Art (MA) she set up a design studio in London, where she has worked with agents and production mills in Italy for several years - producing and selling woven textile collections across Europe and U.S – while consulting to companies such as Nike, Phillips, Unilever and Hairstetics on the development of new materials (woven and fibrous).

Dr Amy Winters, Founder of material-technology studio Rainbow Winters, Postdoctoral Researcher at Eindhoven University of Technology
Dr Amy Winters is the founder of material-technology studio Rainbow Winters and Postdoctoral Researcher at the Future Everyday Group, Industrial Design, TU/e Eindhoven. She currently explores performance principles such as Temporal Form towards Interactive Materials and Soft Robotic Systems.