The department “Textiles – Free, Applied and Experimental Art and Design” focuses on
the creative exploration, communication and role of textiles in society. Textiles play a fundamental role within our material
culture – in everyday life, in art and architecture, fashion and design, and science and technology. Not purely functional,
they are rather a site where the personal, the cultural and the political intersect.
Interweaving theory and
practice, the department provides a solid foundation in critical thinking and the tools to develop a reflective artistic practice.
Textile techniques and contemporary artistic practices are explored in seminars and workshops. The workshops include tailoring,
weaving, printing, plastics, dyeing and leather processing. Through experimental processes and critical inquiry, the notion
of textile craft is continuously re-defined and expanded. The students are encouraged to think about their work beyond materiality,
enabling performative, collective, and participatory formats.
The creative, supportive environment fostered
by the department gives each student the social and analytic skills to prepare them for future work in the field of
art and design education and mediation. Graduates teach in secondary and higher education and work in the fields of art, design,
media, theater, film and research.
In addition to teaching, the department is dedicated to artistic and scientific
research. Over the years, the department has been developing a series of transcultural projects with international partners.
Of particular importance are the long-standing collaborations with partners in Mali, Ghana and Uganda, which deal with ecologically
and socially sustainable textile production. Students and graduates of the Angewandte have conducted research in Morocco,
Bhutan, India, Indonesia and China. These projects form an important basis for innovations in art, science, research and teaching,
and highlight the cultural, social, and ecological relevance of the field.
“Textiles – Free, Applied and Experimental
Art and Design” is an inclusive department for new forms of collaboration and cooperation, where textile cultures are understood
as a critical practice that promotes solidarity-based education.