Christina Leitner & Andreas Selzer, AT

Introduction: Codes – stories in textiles

Textiles are more than a bunch of fibres twisted and woven, or otherwise processed. Textiles contain codes on many different levels. Messages that need to be decoded to further understand the makers intentions.
There are textiles that obviously tell a story, as they use the textile medium to capture narratives, e.g. in the form of embroidered or woven images or characters. If one looks at textiles more closely, one can also find many clues about their use, repair, wear and tear, about the history of their materials and trade routes. Each piece thus carries its own individual story.
Besides this, textiles can also contain collective codes and can be read as the common language of a tribe, a social class or a specific time, expressed through specific materials, colours or forms. They contain codes that tell of belonging, natural phenomena, religious belief, wishes and dreams; meanings and messages that are becoming increasingly rare to decode these days. Dealing with them means getting closer to a culture and looking for ways of understanding.
Memories, and social connotations that we associate with various materials and textile objects are also important sources for finding new forms of artistic expression in the field of contemporary textile art and design. Some artists refer directly to these collective codes, other artists and designers have developed a completely independent, unmistakable signature in their work, which can also be interpreted as a kind of language.
Christina and Andreas will introduce the conference motto "Codes - stories in textiles", running through the two lecture days like a red thread, and will highlight the various facets of the topic including a few examples from their work at the Textile Centre Haslach.