Author Archives: Silknow

Steps into a #SILK preservation plan

Following our goals in terms of preservation of the #silk heritage, we visited the Museu i Col·legi de l’Art Major de la Seda (Museum & College of High Silk Art) in València, on 31st March 2021.

The College of High Silk Art is one of the most prominent buildings of Valencian architecture and culture. It is located in a special area in the historical heart of the city of Valencia: Velluters’ (velvet artisans) neighborhood.

With the transformation, restoration and renovation of the building (it dates from the 15th century) in the last years, driven by Hortensia Herrero Foundation, a piece of material and immaterial history of the city has been recovered, as the guild of silk weavers was reference in the world and one of the engines of the Valencian economy. The archive of the College of High Silk Art  is the most important in Europe and maintains a large number of copies from its inception to the present in scrolls, books and file boxes.

We met with some of the Board Governors from the nowadays Velluters’ Guild, building contacts and partnerships. First we presented our project and the updated results, as our Thesaurus, ADASilk and the Virtual Loom, tools which we offered to being used in their museography as much as the could be useful. We also encouraged the Board members to add their digitalized records to the huge database SILKNOW project is building in collaboration with Mueums, institutions, etc.

But, our main and central discussion was about the shared worries on the future perspectives of silk weaving tradition, threatened by multiple circumstances and challenges. In this moment, local artisans are suffering the consequences of the world pandemics of COVID-19, as the festivities and celebrations are not taking place, and most of their textile production is focused on folklore dresses. The transmission and legacy of the weaving techniques knowledge and textile craft was another key point of our meeting, as there are no ways to coach new artisans and professionals in the traditional techniques, there are not any educational plans or programs which include weaving tuitions.

Because all of these, we agreed in continuing working together, along with the creative industries in order to build a new plan on silk preservation, which would be send to the Spanish Government, to emphasize the need of concrete and useful measures, taking steps in the safeguarding of this traditional craft.

Lecture Series- Zurbarán Centre

Three distinguished scholars explore the visual and material heritage related to the development of silk in Spain, starting with the pioneering production of silk in medieval Iberia to the new uses and meanings of silk in contemporary society. The lectures are hosted by the Zurbarán Centre at Durham University and organized in collaboration with the University of Leeds, the Instituto Cervantes-Manchester and SILKNOW.

The lectures will be delivered live on zoom, each will last ca. 35 minutes and be followed by a brief presentation of the digital tools developed by SILKNOW.

The lecture series is free and open to anyone interested in European silk heritage.

Plase register here and reeive a Zoom link for the lectures.

Friday, 7 May at 6:00 PM : Dr Maria J. Feliciano, Staging Medieval Silk in Iberia: Treasure, Ritual, and Ornament.

Dr. María J. Feliciano is an independent scholar based in New York City. She specializes in the visual culture of the late medieval and early modern Iberian worlds. She has published extensively on the influence of the arts of Islam in the artistic developments of Peninsular and Viceregal societies. She is the director of the Medieval Textiles in Iberian and the Mediterranean Research Project and a member of Material and Visual Cultures of Religion in the Americas (Yale University) and The Medieval Iberian Treasury in Context (CSIC), among other research groups. Dr. Feliciano’s lecture will be followed by a brief demo of the digital tools developed by the SILKNOW research project, in connection with the subject of the lecture. The presenter will be Jorge Sebastián, Professor of Art History at the Universitat de València.

Friday, 14 May at 6:00 PM: Dr Ana Cabrera, Revisiting Sericulture and Silk Production in the Kingdoms of Spain, circa 1300-1700: local and global networks

Dr Ana Cabrera is Director of the Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España since 2020. Previously she was curator of historical fashion at the Museo del Traje in Madrid (2018-2020), Marie S.-Curie Fellow at the Victoria and Albert Museum (2016-2018), and curator at the National Museum of Decorative Arts of Madrid (2002-2016). She has curated the exhibiton Alfombras y tejidos del Museo de La Alhambra in Granada in 1997 and Extra, Moda. El nacimiento de la prensa de moda en España with Maria Prega at the Museo del Traje. She is the author of four books, several book chapters and articles about museum documentation, the history of the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, and historical textiles. Dr Cabrera’s lecture will be followed by a brief demo of the digital tools developed by the SILKNOW research project, in connection with the subject of the lecture. The presenter will be Mar Gaitán, Research Technician, Universitat de València. 

Monday, 17 May at 6:00 PM: Professor Cris Carr: “Silk in contemporary society, beyond its ornamental use”

Cris Carr is Professor in Textile Technology at the University of Leeds, with a key focus on Healthcare Textiles, and he was Head of the School of Design until September 2020. He has published widely through research publications and conference presentations and is a member of several Editorial Boards for international research journals. In 2015 he was awarded the Society of Dyers and Colourists Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to Textile & Colour Education and is currently a Trustee on the Society of Dyers and Colourists. Professor Carr’s lecture will be followed by a brief demo of the digital tools developed by the SILKNOW research project, in connection with the subject of the lecture. The presenter will be Cristina Portalés, Ramón y Cajal researcher, University of Valencia.

ADASilk. Travel into Silk Heritage

Although silk textiles were for many centuries very precious trading goods across the Eurasian continent and further, the knowledge about how production started in Europe and its culture surrounding it is not very known or easily accessible anymore. Textiles, clothes, furniture and so many other objects are scattered around museums and collections and information about them are not easily accessible, neither for researchers nor for the fashion industry and the broader public.

To solve this issue, we created ADASilk (Advanced Data Analysis for Silk heritage), which integrates an exploratory search engine and a Spatio-temporal map, is built on top of the SILKNOW’s knowledge graph that contains nearly 40,000 fabric entries with images and other relevant information describing them (e.g., production place, production timespan, material, technique, etc.). This repository is named ADASilk after Ada Lovelace, the British mathematician whose connection to the origins of computers is well known by now.

The data contained in ADASilk comes from the archives of Boston Museum of Fine Arts, CDMT Terrassa, Garín 1820, Joconde Database of French Museum Collections, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Mobilier International, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Musée des Tissus, Paris Musées, Red Digital de Colecciones de Museos de España, Rhode Island School of Design, Sicily Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian, Versailles, Victoria and Albert Museum.

ADASilk is based on a generic exploratory search engine for knowledge graphs being developed at EURECOM and includes scientific contributions from Universitat de Valencia, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique – Lyon 2, Universita Degli Studi di Palermo, GARIN 1820 S.A., Institut Jozef Stefan, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover, Monkeyfab, and Instituto Cervantes.

The Virtual Loom and Spatio-Temporal Maps visualizations have been developed by Universitat de Valencia.

From Museum documentation to digital data curation. Challenges and opportunities for open access.

Cultural heritage organizations produce a vast quantity of heterogeneous datasets which are often held inside their walls and are not open to the public. Even when they are, sometimes they are not easily accessible, for technological and organizational reasons. This has led to the loss of information essential both for the general audience and researchers. The problem gets worse when dealing with textile collections that require a high specialization to document and conserve them.

SILKNOW aimed to provide answers for some of these challenges, thanks to digital tools and approaches, combined with scholarly expertise (from silk specialists, art historians and historians, textile engineers…). One of its goals was to provide methods and best practices for heritage institutions that want to take their textile collections into the information and knowledge society. It pays particular attention to institutions that lack the technical resources and staff to venture into ICT and research.

Three workshops were held where the ultimate goal is to develop together a document of good practices in textile conservation.

The first workshop was held on 15th February 2021. It was attended by 13 professionals specialized in textile collections, some of them coming from 8 Spanish museums, such as:

The second workshop was held on 25th February and was carried out in Italian. It gathered representatives from 9 small museums, all of them belonging to Catholic dioceses: 

The third workshop was held on the 6th April, and gathered participants from Europe, America and Asia. The 15 attendees included representatives from 9 museums and one EU-funded research project, plus 2 independent scholars, including:

Maggio di seta

As part of SILKNOW, the Instituto Cervantes of Palermo is organizing this monographic program along May dedicated to the Silk Road and the relationships between Spain and Sicily. The program will consist of a didactic exhibition and eight conferences held by Italian and Spanish art history speakers.

Exhibition:
Church of Santa Eulalia dei Catalani, Palermo
28 May – 30 June 2021.
A selected exhibition of Spanish textiles from the Treasury of the Palermo Cathedral and the Diocesan Museum of Monreale will be displayed. The sacred insignia, which belonged to illustrious bishops will be reproduced on the photographic panels. In addition to making known this heritage, we offer the possibility of entering into the world of silk weaving. A QR code has been attached to each piece, allowing visitors to examine their weaving techniques and their 3D virtual reproduction.

Lectures:
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En el marco del proyecto europeo SILKNOW, el Instituto Cervantes de Palermo organiza a lo largo del mes de mayo este programa monográfico dedicado a la Ruta de la Seda y a las relaciones entre España y Sicilia. El programa consistirá en una exposición didáctica y ocho conferencias impartidas por ponentes de historia del arte italianos y españoles.

Exposición, Tramas de seda entre España y Palermo
Iglesia de Santa Eulalia de los Catalanes
Palermo 28 de mayo – 30 de junio de 202

En este lugar se propone una exposición seleccionada de piezas textiles de origen español existentes en el Tesoro de la Catedral de Palermo y el Museo Diocesano de Monreale. Las insignias sagradas, que pertenecieron a ilustres obispos, reproducidas en los paneles fotográficos, además de dar a conocer un patrimonio poco apreciado, ofrecen la posibilidad de entrar en el mundo del tejido y de ampliar el conocimiento. Para cada pieza se ha adjuntado un código QR que permite examinar la técnica de ejecución y su reproducción virtual en 3D.

Seminarios, mayo de seda
Dentro del proyecto europeo Silknow, el Instituto Cervantes de Palermo organiza en el mes de mayo este programa monográfico dedicado a la ruta de la seda y a las relaciones entre España y Sicilia. El programa se compone de una exposición didáctica y de ocho conferencias a cargo de expertos históricos del arte tanto italianos como españoles.

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Ciclo de conferencias Instituto Cervantes Varsovia

Nuestro socio, el Instituto Cervantes, a través de su centro en Varsovia, Polonia, organiza entre febrero y marzo, el ciclo de conferencias “Modas y patrones”, en las que se abordarán desde lo que son las tendencias en la indumentaria hasta la publicidad.

Todas las conferencias son en línea y se podrán ver a través de su canal de YouTube.

Moda: Entre tradición y tecnología

25/02/2021 a las 18:30 

Moda y tecnología: Un homenaje a la seda

27/02/2021 a las 18:30

  • Patryk Wojciechowski, diseñador 
  • Twardo Pawel, diseñador 
  • Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk, escultora 
  • Jakub Kubicki, violin, músico 

La mujer no nace, se hace

08/03/2021 a las 18:30

  • Ariana Harwicz, escritora
  • Grzegorz Uzdański, escritor
  • Katarzyna Moszczynska, filóloga
  • Barbara Jaroszuk, traductorao 

Influencias en la moda

18/03/2021 a las 18:30

La publicidad como patrón de seducción

29/03/2021 a las 18:30

  • Oriol Villar, artista 

Fashion and Technology: A Tribute to Silk

You are invited to this event organized by the Polish side of the European project SILKNOW , which will be broadcasted via social media on Saturday February 27, 2021, at 18:30 (Warsaw time). From the Instituto Cervantes in Warsaw, we will be showing a collection by the Polish designer Patryk Wojciechowski, created with the participation of Paweł Twardo and his Monkeyfab team, using 3D printing technology. We will present 12 unique creations inspired by nature and the art of silk. The Intermediateka artists will be responsible for presenting the scenography through a multimedia show. The performance activities, directed by Anna Ciołkiewicz, are inspired by the links between fashion and technology, which are the essence of SILKNOW. The set design is by Grzegorz Biliński. The visual and musical performance will be provided by the electronic duo DUKT, accompanied by the violinist Jakub Kubicki. Finally, the sculpture designed by Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk will be presented, onto which an interactive mapping will be projected. The artist’s work, modern and minimalist, is inspired by the collection, which has been printed especially for this occasion in 3D. The event will be broadcast by ZUPA.STUDIO.


Te invitamos al evento organizado por la parte polaca del proyecto europeo SILKNOW, que se transmitirá a través de las redes sociales el sábado 27 de febrero de 2021, a las 18:30 (hora de Varsovia). Mostraremos, desde el Instituto Cervantes de Varsovia, una colección del diseñador polaco Patryk Wojciechowski, realizada con la participación de Paweł Twardo y su equipo Monkeyfab, en tecnología de impresión 3D. Presentaremos 12 creaciones únicas inspiradas en la naturaleza y el arte de la seda. Los artistas de Intermediateka serán los encargados de presentar la escenografía a través de un espectáculo multimedia. Las actividades performativas, dirigidas por Anna Ciołkiewicz, se inspiran en los vínculos entre moda y tecnología, que son la esencia de SILKNOW. Grzegorz Biliński es el responsable del diseño del decorado. La actuación visual y musical correrá a cargo del dúo electrónico DUKT, acompañado del violinista Jakub Kubicki. Para finalizar, se presentará la escultura diseñada por Sylwia Marszałek-Jeneralczyk, sobre la que se proyectará un mapeo interactivo. La obra de la artista, cuya forma moderna y minimalista está inspirada en la colección, impresa especialmente para esta ocasión en 3D. El evento será transmitido por ZUPA.STUDIO.


Zapraszamy na premierę wydarzenia będącego finałem  projektu modowego Silk Now – transmisja w mediach społecznościowych odbędzie się w sobotę 27.02.2020 o godzinie 18-tej. W ramach eventu, który odbędzie się w Instytucie Cervantesa w Warszawie pokażemy kolekcję autorstwa polskiego projektanta Patryka Wojciechowskiego, wykonaną przy udziale Pawła Twardo i jego zespołu Monkeyfab, w technologii druku 3d. Przedstawimy 12 niepowtarzalnych kreacji inspirowanych naturą i sztuką jedwabnictwa. Spektakl multimedialny, stanowiący oprawę wizualną wydarzenia przygotują artyści Intermediateki. Całość działań performatywnych, w reżyserii Anny Ciołkiewicz zainspirowana została związkami mody i technologii, które stanowią kwintesencję  projektu SILK NOW. Za scenografię odpowiada Grzegorz Biliński. Performance wizualno-muzyczny zapewni duet elektroniczny DUKT w akompaniamencie skrzypka Jakuba Kubickiego. Ostatnim punktem programu będzie prezentacja interaktywnego mappingu na rzeźbie  projektu Sylwii Marszałek – Jeneralczyk. Praca artystki wydrukowana specjalnie na tę okazję w 3D to nowoczesna i minimalistyczna forma, zainspirowana kolekcją. Transmisję wydarzenia przygotuje ZUPA.STUDIO.

More #Silk! More #Fashion!

For the second year, fashion students from EASD València, have worked together with the SILKNOW Team to propose a new fashion collection based on silk fabrics.

The collaboration with design schools & the creative industries is a must in our project goals. We work hard in order to spread the silk knowledge & importance to new students & interested ones.

SILKNOW partners with ICCROM

SILKNOW is partnering with ICCROM, the IInternational Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, to participate in the Our Collections Matter programme.

This programme puts the spotlight on sustainable development in the cultural sector, recognising this as an important aspiration and responsibility among museums and other collections-based organizations globally. The programme aligns with the goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda and embodies the same determination to make this decade one of concerted action and transformation, during which no one is left behind.

SILKNOW tools will be part of this international toolkit. Together, we will continue to weave the past into the future.

SILKNOW meeting, “in Palermo”

On the  25th and  26th of November, the SILKNOW team held an online meeting to discuss the project’s progress. This is the second meeting held virtually, due to the COVID-19 circumstances. It was, initially planned to take place in Palermo, with our partner UNIPA as host.

Each team from each work package presented their advancements & progress and we continued our task of cooperation on the interdisciplinary work.

We discuss and make some steps in the integration of all of our tools that would be available through ADASilk website.

Also, we scheduled the evaluation calendar & content, that will be open to evaluators soon.