‘Thinking Through Making’ from Istanbul to London

ISTANBUL

Istanbul Modern is launching a new program in collaboration with the Royal College of Art in London, one of the most influential academic institutions worldwide in the sphere of art and design. Titled “Crafting Technology for Textiles,” the project aims to develop a new methodology to support Istanbul’s global position as a creative culture-oriented city by creating a collaborative working environment for future craft.

“Thinking Through Making” is the project’s first series of webinars and workshops open to public focused on the relationship between technology and craft. These public events aim to offer participants a platform where they can acquire new cross-cultural knowledge and skills.

Istanbul Modern chief curator Öykü Özsoy says that the new project is inspired by Istanbul Modern’s ongoing programs that have demonstrated its intention to create encounters between design, new technologies, art, and crafts. The new project will create an interdisciplinary network of design between the United Kingdom and Turkey.

“We aim to develop a new methodology that will support Istanbul’s creative culture-oriented position in the world. The Textiles Soft Systems Research Group within the Royal College of Art has collaborative projects with the Victoria and Albert Museum and London Design Museum,” Özsoy said.

“The events we will organize as part of the ‘Crafting Technology for Textiles’ project will create an interdisciplinary design network between the United Kingdom and Turkey to explore a creative and sustainable future for craft-based textiles,” she added.

Online workshops offered throughout the project will invite participants to explore craft-technology interactions and emerging textile technologies and tools.

“Thinking through Making: Soft Systems,” the project’s first-panel discussion, will feature members of RCA’s Textiles Soft Systems Research Group, who will speak about new developments with respect to the physical attributes of textiles, soft materials and digital assembly technologies. The second-panel discussion titled “Thinking through Making: Diversity in Practice” will be held on March 12.

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 it in a “Guests: Artists and Craftspeople” exhibition.

Again in 2018, the museum launched the Art Maker Lab Project as a learning space bringing together design, art and new technologies.