Thinking Through Making

“Crafting Technology for Textiles” - a collaborative project between Istanbul Modern and the Royal College of Art (RCA), London

The event series “Thinking Through Making” explores new methodologies and systems at the intersection of craft and 21st century technologies in the field of textiles. Throughout the project, Istanbul Modern and RCA would be delighted to welcome professional artists, designers, academicians and creative individuals in their respective fields to create a collaborative working environment for future craft. We will offer a series of webinars and workshops that the participants could acquire new cross-cultural knowledge and skills by focusing on the relationship between technology and craft in these public events.

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art has introduced an innovative and participatory approach to art education through contemporary and interactive practices and significantly contributed to Turkey's growing presence in the international art world. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and three distinct yet complementary projects, Istanbul Modern has demonstrated its intention to create encounters between design, new technologies, art, and crafts. In 2015, Istanbul Modern organized "From Crafts to Design", a project that brought together craftspeople, designers and artists from Turkey and supported their collaborative production. In 2018, the museum launched the International Artist Residency Program, which invited 10 international artists to collaborate with Istanbul artisans to produce a contemporary interpretation of Istanbul’s craft heritage, and showcased in a “Guests: Artists and Craftspeople” exhibition. Again in 2018, Istanbul Modern launched the Art Maker Lab Project as a learning space bringing together design, art and new technologies.

The new collaboration with the world's one of the most influential postgraduate institutions of art and design, The Royal College of Art, the project will work with the existing schemes under the roof of the museum and develop a new methodology for creativity, which in turn reinforce Istanbul Modern and Istanbul's unique cultural place in the creative world. The RCA's Soft Systems Textiles Research Group is engaged with the V&A Museum and the London Design Museum and has successfully showcased many times. Framed within a broad concept of smart textiles-soft textiles, this event series aims to gather an interdisciplinary design network between UK-Turkey and explore a creative and sustainable future for craft-based textiles. Throughout the duration of this project, Istanbul Modern and RCA will offer online workshops that explore the territory of craft-technology interactions and new emerging textile technologies and tools.