iMAL

30 Quai des Charbonnages
Koolmijnenkaai, 1080 Brussels
Art Center for Digital Cultures & Technology

How can textile and electronics help disabilities (human or non-human)

09:30-17:00

Industrial production means “one design fit all”. Fablabs are already a means to produce on-demand tailored garments. But designs are not thought for people with disabilities. New technologies can help us design garments/objects to facilitate lives (human or non-human).

This worksession will happen at the same time as the Fabricademy “Skin Electronics” week in which participants explore electronic textiles close to the skin. We will take this opportunity to explore devices for healthcare: preventing danger, biometrics monitoring, augmenting our senses, communicating with others…

You will work together with invited artists/designers from EUNIC countries to speculate, prototype, experiment. It is not a classical vertical one-to-many workshop but a more horizontal way of working by sharing knowledge and competences.

Practical info

To participate to this worksession, you need to have at least one of these competences:

  • making electronic circuits
  • making e-textile
  • coding on micro-controllers (Arduino, micro:bit, xiao…)

Price: 70€ for 2 days (lunch included) – 35€ for students, unemployed

By registering, you agree to come for the 2 whole days

If you have a doubt, please write an email to stephanie@stdin.fr

Giulia Tomasello

Giulia Tomasello is an interaction designer and educator committed to female intimate care and its innovation. Founder of ALMA Futura, a research and consulting studio where design, science and anthropology combine to co-create low tech tools for a cultural and radical change in womxn's bodies.

In 2018 with the project Future Flora, she won the S+T+Arts Prize, a European award assigned to projects representing “Innovative Alliances between Technology and Artistic Practices”. Her multidisciplinary work has also received other awards at European and international levels such as the World Omosiroi Japanese Award in 2020. Giulia offers a new deeper understanding in female's wellbeing and prevention, developing innovative tools at the intersection of medical, social and open sciences.

She is co-founder of the Bruixes-Lab collective [nomadic lab of bio-hacking, sx-tech and witchcraft rituals], Hogar [cultural association focused on gender health and performance] and Tides project [sexual wellness brand for women in mid-life]. Coded Bodies is her teaching platform designed to learn the basics of wearable technology, smart materials and the exploration of biological textiles.

Since 2017, she has been teaching in several Italian and European universities such as Politecnico di Milano, Royal College of Arts in London, Kunstuniversität in Linz and Head in Geneva. She currently lectures at IED and at the Domus Academy in Milan, the Academy of Fine Arts in Perugia and at NABA in Rome.

🔗 (link: https://gitomasello.com/ text: https://gitomasello.com/

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Lavoslava Benčić

Lavoslava Benčić (SLO) is an intermedia artist, curator, and educator with a background in multimedia engineering and in media arts.

Her works have been exhibited in 22 countries and have received 14 awards. She conducts workshops for adults and children focused on art and electronics, particularly e-textiles. Additionally, she lectures on media production at the Institute and Academy of Multimedia in Ljubljana and on integrated practices in art and electronics at the Arts Academy in Nova Gorica. She also collaborates with a women's initiative ČIPke and with Center Rog in Ljubljana.

🔗 (link: https://vimeo.com/lavoslava text: https://vimeo.com/lavoslava

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Valentina Frunze

Valentina Frunze, International Programmes Officer at Technical University of Moldova and Ph.D. Student at Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iași, is a researcher in functional clothing. Dedicated to designs that enhance independence for individuals with disabilities, she applies digital methods like 3D modelling to create functional, custom garments. With a background in textile technology and economics, she is committed to inclusive, eco-conscious innovation in fashion.

🔗 (link: https://class.textile-academy.org/2023/valentina-frunze/project/

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Zorobe Soft Electronics (Zsófia Lévai & Lúcia Kiss)

Zsófia Lévai is a multidisciplinary artist interested in the merging of virtual and physical spaces and its impact on human relationships. Her research focuses on comfortable, wearable, communicative garments, "soft interfaces" that act as a personal aura around the user. She integrates electronics and sensory technology into the structure of the fabric, creating a new membrane. These soft Human-Computer Interfaces are not only capable of collecting and transmitting biometric data, but also enable extended perception and representation. Zsófia holds a Master's degree in Textile and Fashion Design from the Moholy University of Art and Design. She started there a PhD research in 2021 focuses on the potential role of 'soft interfaces' in our communication. In addition to her speculative direction, she co-founded the company Zorobe Soft Electronics, where she and her team develop prototypes of wearable medical devices.

In 2023, Lúcia Kiss graduated from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design with a master’s degree in Fashion and Textile Design. Throughout her academic years, her focus was mostly on structural design and technological innovations. She is particularly interested in how innovative solutions intersect with traditional crafting techniques. She is currently working on wearable designs, focusing on integrating electronics into soft interfaces. This work closely reflects and builds upon her established design philosophy.

🔗 zorobe.com
🔗 instagram.com/zsolevai
🔗 instagram.com/luciakiss_textile
🔗 zorobe.com
🔗 instagram.com/zsolevai
🔗 instagram.com/luciakiss_textile

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Credits

Credit photo: Lavoslava Benčić