Threads of Innovation Symposium – Morning Programme
During Threads of Innovation - Then. Now. Next, TextielMuseum | TextielLab brings together an international network of designers, artists, architects, researchers, industry partners and cultural institutions to explore these questions. The symposium examines the development of textiles as a discipline: from the traditions and knowledge that have shaped the field to the innovations creating new possibilities for the future.
The morning programme forms the intellectual heart of the symposium. Five leading keynote speakers from the worlds of art, design, architecture, industry, curatorship and futures research share their perspectives on the developments that have shaped the textile field, are driving change today and are helping to shape the future.
Maaike Muis
Moderator
Maaike Muis is a moderator, podcast maker and trainer with more than twenty years of experience in the cultural and creative sectors. She moderates conferences, festivals and public conversations, working with organisations including the Dutch Performing Arts Fund, Holland Festival, Oerol and Culture Action Europe.
With her subject knowledge, curiosity and warm style, Maaike connects speakers, ideas and audiences. During Threads of Innovation 2026, she will guide the conversation between the keynote speakers and create connections between the diverse perspectives on the future of textiles.
Otobong Nkanga
Visual Artist
Photo by Wim van Dongen
Otobong Nkanga is an internationally renowned visual artist. Her multidisciplinary practice explores the relationships between materials, landscapes, labour, ecology and human experience.
In her work, she uses textiles, among other materials, as carriers of stories, memories and connections between people, their surroundings and history. Through a deep engagement with materials and their meanings, Nkanga explores how raw materials, objects and landscapes are connected to broader social, political and ecological questions.
Amanda Pinatih
Curator of Design & Contemporary Art – Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Amanda Pinatih is Curator of Design & Contemporary Art at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Through her curatorial practice, she explores the role of design and material culture within social and cultural developments.
Her work focuses on the meaning of materials, making processes and design practices within art and design. She explores how objects tell stories and how design can contribute to new perspectives on the world around us.
Jessica Hemmings
Author and Professor of Craft
Jessica Hemmings is a British academic, author and internationally recognised expert in textiles and craft. She is Professor of Craft at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, Professor II at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design and Visiting Professor at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest.
Her research focuses on the cultural, social and political dimensions of textiles and craft. She explores how textiles carry knowledge, tell stories and connect to broader social developments.
Crystal Tang
Associate Director & Senior Architect – UNS
Crystal Tang is Associate Director and Senior Architect at UNS. With a strong focus on cultural projects, she designs intuitive and immersive environments that go beyond aesthetics.
Since joining UNS in 2013, Crystal has combined materials, light and spatial planning to create meaningful experiences. Her collaborative and narrative approach brings together diverse perspectives in interiors, architecture and masterplans that are both functional and inspiring.
She is currently leading the design of the SeoulONE project and a children’s museum. With a strong focus on design strategy and accessibility, she creates spaces that are memorable, personal and deeply connected to their purpose and context.
Lidewij Edelkoort
Trendforecaster & Founder of Trend Union
Lidewij Edelkoort is one of the world’s most influential trend forecasters and the founder of Trend Union. She researches social, cultural and economic developments and translates them into insights for design, fashion, materials and consumer behaviour.
With her broad perspective on changing values and needs, she offers insight into the future of creativity, materials and the ways in which we live and make.
Online participation
Unable to attend the event in person at the TextielMuseum? The keynote programme is also available online.
With an online ticket, you can follow the morning programme live via WebinarGeek. Watch the keynote talks as they happen and gain access to the recordings afterwards, allowing you to revisit the programme at a time that suits you.
Online participation makes it possible to be part of the international conversation about the future of textiles, wherever you are. In this way, the insights, ideas and perspectives of Threads of Innovaiton are accessible to a global audience.
