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.
