​

 

One thing is clear; the uneasy balance between physical and digital will be one of the greatest struggles of the next generation

Tom Vavik

 

­'Tactile' seems to be becoming a buzzword for designers, journalists, technologists, and futurists alike. In today's hyper-digitalised world we seem fascinated with the 'real': fetishizing the touching of physical materials and surfaces. The tactile is very much in fashion.

Tangible Impressions is a research project exploring this emerging trend; focusing on how, why and what we touch. As well as the changing habits of haptic in a digitalizing world. My woven experimentation looks to answer the question:

Can textiles record and represent physical presence in our digital world? 

Like a hand print in concrete, a dropped programmatic tracking cookie on your browser or in imprint in a memory foam mattress; can textiles be part of a permanent or transient conversation between humans and surfaces?

 This project, through material research, experimentation and development aims to address the position of textiles within this often virtual, digital world. Challenging both the role of textiles and its representation in a society dominated by screens and digital interfaces.