Man <3 Machine - 25 Years of TextielLab

The exhibition features works by Peter Struycken, Koen Taselaar, Aiko Tezuka, Jan Taminiau, Aleksandra Gaca, Bertjan Pot, Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe, Fransje Gimbrère, Samira Boon, Ursula Wagner and Mae Engelgeer.  

Aiko Tezuka, Photo by Hanne Vogelaers.
Certainty/ Entropy (Japan 6), Aiko Tezuka, Photo by Gabriel Leung.

An ode to boldness and imagination
Man <3 Machine – 25 Years of TextielLab celebrates experimentation, collaboration and progress. The exhibition shows how textiles continue to evolve when human creativity and machine technology reinforce one another, and how this relationship can result in surprising, beautiful and
ground-breaking work. 

From first machine to an international hub  
The story begins 25 years ago with a bold decision: by placing the first computer-controlled weaving machine at the heart of the museum, the TextielMuseum developed into a progressive museum where production and presentation converge. Today, the TextielLab is an international incubator for textile creation and a vital springboard for both emerging and established talent. A place where technology is never the end point, but always the starting point for new possibilities.  

Mae Engelgeer in the TextielLab. Photo by Patty van den Elshout.

Weaving without limits
The exhibition, with spatial design by Studio Parade, brings together eleven impressive artworks created at the TextielLab over the past 25 years. The presentation is enriched by video portraits of the weavers, artists and designers involved, offering insight into the making process and the collaborative nature of the work. 

At the heart of the exhibition is computer controlled weaving, the technique that has earned the TextielLab international recognition. Within this process, the interaction between human imagination and digital technology becomes visible. Thanks to their speed and exceptional precision, the weaving machines are able to build complex structures layer by layer, unlocking new possibilities for form, colour and material. 

Product developer Judith Peskens and Aleksandra Gaca (right).
Photo by Patty van den Elshout

Co-creation
In 2002, Peter Struycken was invited as the first artist to create a work on the new computer-controlled weaving machine, in collaboration with TextielLab weaving specialist Stef Miero. At the time, Struycken was already internationally renowned for his systematic approach to colour, in which carefully composed colour palettes usually form the basis of his work. For this wall tapestry, however, he faced a new challenge: the colour palette depended on the blending of different yarns. 

To achieve a harmonious colour composition, Miero experimented with a variety of weave bindings, while the advanced weaving machine, thanks to its speed and precision, made an almost infinite range of structures possible. The result is a colour palette that emerges directly from the artist’s intuitive choices, in which technology and creativity seamlessly converge. 

Boulez 22 - 30 mei 04 - 06 maart 05 - 03.bmp, Peter Struycken.
Photo by Joep Vogels.

That same synergy between technology and creativity is evident in the pioneering 3D weaving techniques presented in Man <3 Machine – 25 Years of TextielLab. Designers such as Aleksandra Gaca, Fransje Gimbrère and Jan Taminiau deliberately create space within the textile, developing fabrics that are no longer flat but acquire volume, scale and form. This sculptural approach opens up new applications in product design, fashion and material innovation. 

At the same time, a new generation of artists and designers is given a voice. Young talents, unencumbered by rules or limitations, approach the machines with open curiosity. This attitude works both ways: they inspire experienced specialists to re-examine familiar techniques. What is created on the weaving machines in Tilburg goes on to travel the world — from presentations in Shanghai to museums in New York — demonstrating how local craftsmanship can grow into Art with a capital A, with international impact. 

Fransje Gimbrére in the TextielLab. Photo by Patty van den Elshout.

Danique Klijs, conservator en curator 
of Mens <3 Machine – 25 years TextielLab: 
“The TextielLab has never been just a place of technology. Here, artists, technicians and machines challenge one another. This anniversary exhibition shows how weaving has developed over 25 years into an experimental medium in which human imagination and collaboration remain indispensable, precisely because of technology.” 

Danique Klijs, Photo by Patty van den Elshout.

With thanks to
This exhibition is made possible with the generous support of the Municipality of Tilburg, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the Province of North-Brabant and the VriendenLoterij.