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Contribution short abstract:

This paper examines how textile tools (selection) shape the transmission of embodied knowledge in education and makerspaces. By exploring their role in preserving, adapting, and transforming crafts, it highlights their active impact on skill transmission while balancing tradition and accessibility.

Contribution long abstract:

This paper explores how tools within textiles shape and structure the transmission of embodied knowledge in educational institutions and makerspaces. Weaving, knitting, and sewing are tied to tacit and embodied practices. They rely on tools, not only as enablers of production, but also as mediators of teaching and learning. The research examines how the material and technical characteristics of tools influence the preservation, adaptation, and transformation of textile knowledge.

Drawing on interviews with educators and observations in makerspaces, this study investigates the pedagogical and practical impact of working and teaching with textile tools. In educational contexts, choices reflect institutional goals, such as balancing tradition with accessibility or tailoring instruction to specific skill levels. In makerspaces, where experimentation is prioritized, tools challenge the conventions of craft transmission. How tools are used affect how gestures, rhythms, and sensory connections are communicated and retained.

The research situates tool selection within broader cultural and material frameworks, addressing questions of whose knowledge is preserved, how it is transmitted, and what may be unwritten. By tracing how tools mediate the tensions between codified and embodied knowledge, this paper reveals the values and assumptions embedded in craft pedagogy and practice.

Ultimately, the paper argues that tools in textile production are far from neutral. They not only determine the forms of transmission but also participate in unwriting, reshaping how textile knowledge is understood, valued, and carried forward. Through this lens, the research contributes to the ongoing dialogue about how materiality and practice influence safeguarding and transmission of crafts.

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Contribution short abstract:

Focusing on textile crafts in higher arts education this papers presents specific examples and exercises in the workshop, where digital tools and strategies intersect with analog drawing, manual tools and materials.

Contribution long abstract:

Focusing on textile crafts in higher arts education this papers presents specific examples and exercises in the workshop, where digital tools and strategies intersect with analog drawing, manual tools and materials.

The fundamental principles on which many textile techniques rely, have remained largely unchanged since prehistoric times. In weaving, for example, high-tech digital jacquard looms work according to the same principles that also apply to the earliest looms such as warp-weigthed looms and back strap looms. Complex fabrics were made on these early looms - which are also still used today - but production was more labour intense and therefor slower. The main incentive for technological innovation in weaving, according to Anni Albers, was speed.

Exploring this phylogenesis of the loom and doing so hands on not only creates an embodied understanding of the technique but also helps to position yourself as a contemporary weaver within a craft and production practice which spans millennia. It is taking a slow path, were you start with unruly threads and thankfully investigate les gestes and tools handed down to you from weavers in different times and places before moving on to pixels, automated drafting software and high-tech looms.

Special attention is devoted to the exercise as a place where the discovery of something new is repeated again and again. Not only as a way to understand the complex procedures involved in the making of textiles but also as a way to carry them forward.

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Contribution short abstract:

The Craeft project uses simulation and realistic visualisation to create immersive environments for craft training and design. These innovations enhance safety, conserve resources, and enable craft-specific artefact design, supporting sustainable transmission of traditional skills.

Contribution long abstract:

The Craeft project explores innovative approaches to safeguarding and transmitting traditional craft knowledge in the digital age. A key focus is the development of advanced simulation and realistic visualisation capabilities that enable the detailed rendering of craft actions. By creating immersive and interactive environments for craft education and training, Craeft facilitates the transmission of embodied knowledge while addressing critical concerns such as safety, energy conservation, and material efficiency. These simulations not only enhance training but also support craft-specific design processes, allowing designers to create artefacts that align with the constraints and possibilities of traditional crafting techniques. Additionally, Craeft's cutting-edge visualisation capabilities include realistic rendering of transparent, translucent, and shiny materials, further enriching its potential for design and review. This paper examines how such digital innovations can transform the learning, practice, and design of traditional crafts, contributing to durable and future-proof strategies for preserving cultural heritage in the context of emerging technologies.

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When artisans retire, they leave no means of preserving their expertise to intricate extend. By using immersive technologies, it aims to safeguard techniques and enhance learning through virtual guides, making complex skills accessible and also engaging for younger generations.

Contribution long abstract:

The goal of experimentation with immersive technologies within traditional crafts is twofold. Firstly, individual manual operations are a key element of crafts. These are very specific to each artisan. Therefore at the end of a craftsperson’s career, their knowledge, if not guarded in some way, is lost. Immersive technologies could support the safeguarding of the highly personal developed skills of craftspeople. Providing some sort of technique library or instructional assistance throughout different applications. Secondly, learning crafts is a long-term commitment. New apprentices might struggle with the complexity and spatial understanding of certain explanations given by instructors. In the current space, craft experts are limited in teaching by their words, writing and recordings. Introducing virtual guides for assistance in the craft process can enhance, not only the overall learning process, but also benefit the deeper understanding of techniques and manual operations. Being involved with these immersive technologies might also attract the younger generations, giving them an engaging starting point from which to develop their skill depending on their level of interest. Wickerwork specifically is a labour-intensive craft and requires time to truly master. Not only are the hand operations important but the correct material handling is crucial. Augmented reality was used for the experiment setup through an iPad with ArUco markers that are powered by an Adobe Aero project, providing virtual overlays that are anchored real time to the reference object, which in this case was a wicker starter cross, the first step of the wicker basket making process.

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Contribution short abstract:

Although usually presented as opposites, what happens if we take craft and technology seriously in the same light? This paper investigates viewing technology as craft and discusses what can happen to embodied processes when technology and craft are brought together during the act of creation.

Contribution long abstract:

The creation of crafted objects is nowadays often seen as opposite to technological processes such as computing. Where as one is embodied, material, and traditional; the other is mechanical, impersonal, and abstract. This viewpoint, however, stands in contrast to theoretical and historical links between craft and technology, where women were employed in computing positions due to their craft skills. This similarity extends to the similar processes behind crafting, especially where machinery is involved (for example, Jacquard’s loom and Babbage’s Analytical Engine).

Ethnographic data shows that some textile crafters are afraid of what technology may take away from the embodied, traditional nature of their craft. However, this paper investigates what happens when we embrace the similarities between textile crafting and technology. Further, this paper looks at what can happen when we take seriously working with technology as craft, viewing processes of coding and circuitry as crafts in their own right. This is brought together using ethnographic data collected working with people developing and using technological modifications for electronic knitting machines, weaving the traditional fabric in a new light.

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The paper analyses the EU Regulation 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft products and its prospective impact on the transmission of craft knowledge, providing insights into opportunities and practical difficulties craftspeople might face in formalising their craft.

Contribution long abstract:

A recent European Union Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 on the protection of geographical indications for craft products is the first EU legislative act intended to specifically protect the results of creative activity in the field of crafts. For many years, geographical indications could be protected at the EU level for agricultural products only. The Regulation now offers craftspeople the opportunity to apply for registration and protection of their geographical indications used for craft products whose characteristics are due to their geographical origin.

The paper deals with the legal framework for registration and protection of geographical indications for craft products in view of the specifics of the situation in Latvia. In this context, the paper analyses some potential geographical indications that could be applied for registration under this Regulation from Latvia and discusses opportunities and practical difficulties craftspeople might face in formalising their sometimes 'unwritten' craft and thereby transmitting their craft knowledge in this new normative context. This includes considerations, such as the preparation of a product specification by paying particular attention to raw materials and territory, production method and possibilities to introduce and use new technologies in production, and the scope of protection and the treatment of a geographical indication as a collective right.

The paper is part of the research project Tracks4Crafts (Transforming crafts knowledge for a sustainable, inclusive and economically viable heritage in Europe, 2023-2027), financed by the European Union programme Horizon Europe (Grant Agreement No. 101094507).

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Contribution short abstract:

This article explores crafts and modern gender associations, questioning the extent to which technology has allowed both new forms of innovation and gender integration.

Contribution long abstract:

Defining the concept of ‘craft’ is not only a recurring issue within recent scholarly debate (Sennet, 2008; Mignosa & Kotipalli, 2019), but is also further complicated by divergent etymological meanings of the concept in different European languages. Furthermore, in some languages, such as Latvian and Icelandic, there are different words for crafts performed by men and crafts practiced by women. A specific craft is therefore linguistically and thus inherently linked to gender. Although there are seemingly no gender distinctions in today's economy and all professions are in principle open to and practiced by both men and women, gender segregation still seems to exist within the craft sector. Indeed, while modern views are less restrictive, gender associations still influence how crafts are perceived in different cultures. This article explores the latter through a case study on textile crafts in Iceland and examines the extent to which technology, which enables new forms of craft by combining traditional techniques with digital tools such as 3D printing, laser cutting and digital weaving, has enabled new forms of innovation and gender integration.

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Contribution short abstract:

This paper brings an intersectional approach to digital twin creation for restitution, challenging singular "correct" methods. It emphasises grassroots, Indigenous-led projects, advocates for access to museum collections, and explores the interplay of rituals, photogrammetry, and 3D holograms.

Contribution long abstract:

In discussions about the preservation and restitution of colonial objects, several initiatives aim to address the absence of looted objects by reimagining how heritage can be re-experienced. Since 2007, and especially from 2020 onward, projects like the Smithsonian’s preservation of Indigenous North American objects, The Atlas of Lost Finds, the Digital Benin Project, and Afrisurge worked to reconstruct, catalog, and provide access to cultural heritage through collaborative approaches. These initiatives claim to prioritise empowering and involving indigenous communities, but do they truly achieve this? Or are they still upholding museum authority, centering Western actors while maintaining indigenous communities as passive participants?

This paper examines how digital innovation can both support and critique institutional initiatives to address gaps in cultural heritage restitution, highlighting the role of indigenous communities in creating 3D replicas and holograms, as well as the importance of granting access to museum collections. This raises critical questions: Can the concept of a physical museum be replaced by digital placebos? Could the museum be "hacked" to address the void left by looted objects prior to their potential restitution? How can the digitisation "reclaim" and reinterprets heritages? What happens when communities lead the process of 3D-holographic digitisation, taking ownership of cultural narratives?

The paper focuses on how digitisation, initiated by grassroots indigenous communities, reshape the museum landscape. It examines the potential for integrating self-made photogrammetry, portable holographic displays, 3D interactive projections into indigenous spaces. By doing so, it questions whether such innovations offer meaningful experiences and provide alternatives to restitution models.

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Contribution short abstract:

In this paper, we will present ethnographic research, filming and identifying traditional crafts as intangible cultural heritage. This article focuses on research on the transfer of craft knowledge and skills in the context of major economic changes and migrations in Vojvodina, Serbia.

Contribution long abstract:

The paper will present research on strategies for using traditional craft knowledge and local ecosystem resources in the context of major economic changes and migrations, which have led many people to change their occupations in order to find new sources of income in crisis situations. The decline of industry and the closure of large industrial plants and factories forced many people to return to crafts or to learn crafts and skills that were previously practiced by members of their families or people in their community, adapting techniques, tools and machines to new needs and conditions. Migrations led to the acceptance of new knowledge and exchange of experiences in the process of intercultural communication, while adapting to the resources of the natural environment.

Work on identifying and researching traditional crafts of different ethnic groups and communities will be presented, which resulted in the inscription of several elements into the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Serbia. We will present the visual ethnographic approach to the transfer of craft knowledge and skills and discuss the role of film and the filming process itself in the production and transfer of knowledge. Finally, we will look at the effects of this segment of the museum's work and the impact of this approach on communities. Active work on the registration of an element involves obtaining the status of a relevant organization for the safeguarding of that element, as well as taking on the role of monitoring future transformations.

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Contribution short abstract:

What can safe-guarding of crafts mean in the context of post-disciplinary hybrid art-craft-design practices today? And how can safe-guarding of craft become a ‘futuring’ practice, aimed at producing a just and sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants, both human and more-than-human?

Contribution long abstract:

In the latest Venice Biennale, the Golden Lion was awarded to Mataaho Collective, a New Zealand based collective of female crafters. In their installation Takapau, traditional craft weaving techniques and the accompanying meanings and metaphors form the basis for a spatial intervention that speaks to the global art world. The curated exhibition of the biennale, Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere was an invitation to local communities from all over the world and especially the global south, but equally brought in foreign, hybrid, or, in the words of craft theorist Julia Bryan-Wilson ‘strange bedfellows’, such as craft, to one of the most important international fora for contemporary art. The ubiquity of indigenous art and craft practices, was visible not only in Venice but is pervading the global art world as it has been pervading the world of critical and artistic design since the nineties.

Or perhaps craft has always been present as a neighboring, rather than a ‘foreign’ practice, and it is just we -as modernist, western-based art, craft, design critics or theorists- who have not been paying attention. In this sense craft can be seen as one of many ghosts of modernity that keep resurfacing, and which, thanks to the growing ubiquity of technology, are even proliferating. What can safe-guarding of crafts mean in the context of these hybrid art-craft-design practices today? And how can safe-guarding of craft become a ‘futuring’ practice, aimed at producing a just and sustainable future for the planet and its inhabitants, both human and more-than-human?