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.