Past projects

Future Looms >> 1998

In partnership with IRIS at Staffordshire University, Channel, Artec and Artimedia and funded by Arts Council England, Photo98/Canon, Yorkshire and Humberside Arts and Leeds City Council. The Future Looms was commissioned for Photo 98's Public Sightings programme.

Future Looms - image from Pavilion postcard

The inspiration for the project was an essay by Sadie Plant ‘Weaving, Women & Cybernetics’ in which she proposes that ‘”The computer emerges out of the history of weaving, a process often said to be the quintessence of women’s work’”

Artists Alicia Felberbaum, Roshini Kempadoo and writer Fiona Russell, in association with PEEL Design worked on the project, exploring the relationship between women's history in the textile industry of West Yorkshire, specifically looking at the Batley, focusing on the advancement of information and technology, which has given birth to computer-powered textile production.

Time was spent, in Batley, by the artists to absorb the atmosphere, research the history and assess the town in the context of the project. The responses produced were individual to the three artists Roshini produced two responses: Keepsake and Interface; Alicia created: Holes – Linings- Threads and Fiona’s work was called First Things. The work was presented on a CD-Rom and specially designed website.

An education project was also inspired as a result of The Future Looms commission. Sessions were delivered with local school children at Carlton Junior School by Steve Williams, education consultant; Alanna Wilson, Artimedia community arts worker and Fiona Russell The Future Looms writer. This innovative education project offered an exceptional chance for local children the technology of the future, whist not forgetting their own local history.

Alicia Felberbaum’s work was successful at theTransmediale festival 1999 in Berlin winning the prize for best Internet/web based project.

Related Links
Artimedia: www.artimedia.co.uk
Iris: www.irisphoto.org
Alicia Felberbaum : www.aliciafelber.com
Roshini Kempadoo: www.roshinikempadoo.co.uk
Transmediale Festival: www.transmediale.de