sonorous textiles@MAK Vienna

Even in my summer break I can resist doing some research on inspiring and exciting things! This time I visited the MAK (museum of applied arts) at Vienna. The exhibition SONIC FABRIC feat. BLESS N°45 Soundperfume engineered by Popkalab caught my interest a few weeks ago when finding an article about it on an Austrian news webside. BLESS isn´t new to me - I already know it from my study-time in Vienna. Creating outstanding and extraordinary accessories, objects as well as fashion, it´s impossible to forget them (I assume that there is a design team behind the project BLESS).

from top left to bottom right: exhibition poster, MELODIZED PILLOW HAMMOCK by
BLESS N°45, Stefan testing the hammock, RECORDING SHOES by BLESS N°45,
bags by BLESS for LONGCHAMP and garment by BLESS
(images: Wukovits 2013)

I was quite fascinated by the MELODIZED PILLOW HAMMOCK that created an OM sound by simply hanging in the room and when sitting on it as well as hitting certain pillows, more sounds were created. Pretty simple and advanced technology integrated in the textiles, but still with a big suprise for the user and a great effect. As I already read about the RECORDING SHOES (sock-knitted shoes - love them because of their simplicity) I wanted to test them. Unfortunately visitors are not allowed to wear them and to record their steps with the integrated microphone and the loud-speaker in the heel. Further I experienced interesting, short movies about `sound-projects´ with sports brands such as ADIDAS ("Megalizer") and NIKE (Rhizomatics), as well as about the project RUSSIA: A NATION OF MIRACLE BELIEVERS by Russian textile artist Tatiana Krupinina. She creates sound-miracles by using conductive threads for her religious inspired embroidery, used on cloth for orthodox churches. By coming closer to the embroidery, a miracle is created - simple through a phisical law. Simply: fanstastic, exciting and innovative projects, showing more and more that textiles and science are closely related to each other.