In collaborative research and development with Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM], one of Japan's leading media art centers, we held an exhibition on the theme of “Fabrics as Demiurges—The Meaning of Fabrics for Mankind”. Research with YCAM began in 2015 utilizing the loom technology of Nishijin weaving which can precisely manipulate every single warp and weft. Together with Keio University’s Yasuaki Kakehi Laboratory and artist/programmer Ken Furudate, we carried out advanced research and development made possible by the Nishijin weaving machines. These experiments with new computer programs and materials aim to introduce new ideas and possibilities regarding “threads” and “yarn” as fundamental components of cloth, while exploring possible textiles of the future, and how these may affect the development of new forms of art and culture.
Photo credit to Kazuomi Furuya Courtesy of Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media [YCAM]

We wove foils coated with an ink that changes color when it reaches a certain temperature and produced a dynamic color-changing woven cloth. We explore the possibility of developing it as a cloth with a rewritable pattern or as a cloth that responds to the surrounding environment.

The whole cloth works as a computer interface, which visualizes the cloth structure on the screen. We created a woven cloth that has foils on which position and ID data are printed as fine dots.
By sliding the cloth on a table, the data can be acquired in real time by a sensor embedded in the table.