Sweden | European Textile Network conference

CROSSOVER BORÅS 2017, the XVIII conference of the European Textile Network, ETN, will be held September 12-19, 2017 at the Swedish Museum of Textiles. It aims to present a global perspective of different textile practices, with a special focus on sustainable creativity and innovation. Registration is open.

The Swedish Museum of Textiles is located in the city of Borås, 30 minutes from Gothenburg airport. The Borås Textile Fashion Centre not only houses the Museum but also the Swedish School of Textiles, an internationally renowned centre for textile innovation in fashion and design plus the Smart Textiles Lab.

The conference co-organizers are the European Textile Network, ETN, together with the Swedish Museum of Textiles and Nordic Textile Art association. The conference aims to present a global perspective of the different textile practices and their interactions with a special focus on sustainable creativity and innovation in textile art and design. The conference sessions will take place Saturday and Sunday, September 16-17, 2017. Speakers include Lij Edelkoort, one of the world's most famous trend forecasters; Faigh Ahmed, Azerbaijani artist well known for his conceptual approach to traditional textiles; Jun Tomita, Japanese kasuri weaving master; Grethe Sørensen, Danish Jacquard weaver who recently received the Nordic Award in Textiles; Catharine Ellis, who together with textile chemist Joy Boutrup, will talk about collaborative projects between art and science; Beatrijs Sterk who will talk about Textiles in Fine Art and many more… Pre- and a post-conference programs feature textile tours in the city and the region and a set of workshops on a mix of low and high textile tech from digital to kasuri weaving and from origami to natural dyes. A large program of satellite exhibitions starring Ahmed's and Sørensen's solo shows and NTA (Nordic Textile Art) and TEXO (Finnish Textile Association) collective exhibitions will be on view. The European Textile Network, ETN, is bringing together cultural producers (artists, designers, craft people, authors etc.), cultural heritage institutions (museums, archives, libraries etc.), lecturers, researchers and textile enthusiasts in order to promote the exchange of information and experiences, to encourage cooperation in projects, and to arrange meetings. ETN is a non-profit organization founded in 1993. The Textile Museum of Sweden is one of Europe's leading museums of textiles with special focus on design, fashion and art, as well as textile industry heritage and innovation. It is a part of Textile Fashion Centre located in a former industrial area of Borås, a town with a long history of textile production. Its permanent exhibition, Textile Power, makes visitors aware of the significance of the textile industry, along with its light and dark sides. http://textilmuseet.se Nordic Textile Art, NTA, is an independent non-profit association founded in 2006. The purpose of Nordic Textile Art is to be a forum to create opportunities for contacts and to contribute to establish new network and meeting places for Nordic Textile Art. NTA organize annually a textile meeting circulating in the Nordic countries that comprises lectures, exhibitions and guided visits. NTA is member of the Board of the European Textile Network. http://www.nordictextileart.net