In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) permeates various aspects of our lives, e-textiles offer a means to reconnect with our heritage, fostering sustainability and preserving cultural legacies, write Sanskriti Shah and Prof Risha Roy.
Textile making, one of humanity’s oldest crafts, holds a unique history that reflects the journey of humankind. Despite this rich background, modern textiles are often viewed merely as consumption goods, detached from their cultural, contextual, and environmental roots.
Have you ever wondered how inanimate pieces of cloth have been narrating countless stories?
With the advent of newer technologies, producing artisanal goods by machine has become much faster than traditional handcrafting, often leading to the perception that technology and traditional craftsmanship are at odds. However, that’s far from true. An interesting question is how AI might highlight the significance of these crafts. After all, many individuals, patrons, curators, museums, and historians view them as part of larger heritage conservation efforts.
So, is it possible to bridge the gap by integrating traditional age-old crafts and rituals with modern technology to create e-textile products? A recent case study suggests that it is possible.
In an era where artificial intelligence (AI) permeates various aspects of our lives, e-textiles offer a means to reconnect with our heritage, fostering sustainability and preserving cultural legacies. The study highlights how the age-old traditional craft of Zardosi was combined with technology, involving hand-coiling and embroidering conductive threads to create a circuit. It emphasised the involvement of stakeholders, including craftspeople, artisans, designers, curators, and academicians, with some institutional support.
The project was undertaken by Anuvad Innovation Studio, an Ahmedabad-based studio led by Chhail Khalsa, a visionary textile designer, in collaboration with a reputed design university. It aimed to humanise e-textiles, infusing them with soulful design narratives and transformative potential. During the project, students explored the fusion of traditional craftsmanship with electronic textiles, creating captivating installations that seamlessly blended art history with technological innovation by integrating motion sensors, colour sensors, light sensors, and NFC tags.
This combination of electronics and textiles provided products with deep cultural significance. Students collaborated with skilled artisans to incorporate the ancient craft of Zardosi into their e-textile projects. With its intricate patterns and rich history, Zardosi added narrative depth to these innovative installations.
By delving into the world of simple circuits and sensors, participants learned how to animate their creations, enabling them to create visually appealing and interactive designs that responded to their surroundings in dynamic ways. This hands-on approach allowed them to experience the profound connection between traditional techniques and modern technology.
This approach also enabled students to explore much more than just technology integration. They engaged in comprehensive studies of Zardosi’s history, gaining an understanding of its cultural and historical significance. By working with skilled artisans, students acquired insights into traditional craftsmanship, which they can now apply to future e-textile projects. Each student understood technology differently and created unique pieces of art that merged ancient techniques with modern electronics, telling stories through interactive surfaces.
As technology intertwines with every aspect of our lives, this project highlighted the importance of preserving traditional craftsmanship while showcasing the potential of modern technology to enhance and transform these ancient arts. Integrating sensors and circuits brought the textiles to life, allowing them to interact with their environment and viewers. This dynamic interplay between the traditional and the modern creates a powerful statement about the evolving nature of craft and technology.
This blend can foster a sense of sustainability and a deeper connection to heritage, inspiring us to see textiles as more than mere disposable objects. It also encourages us to learn about these creations’ cultural, historical, and environmental contexts.
In conclusion, the integration of technology with traditional crafts can truly be a game changer. Honouring ancient crafts like Zardosi and combining them with contemporary electronic elements showcases the transformative potential of e-textiles. It also encourages students and viewers to appreciate the enduring relevance of craftsmanship in the digital age and demonstrates how innovative design can preserve cultural legacies.
