70 Works on Display Until October
To mark its 10th anniversary, the Daegu Textile Museum will hold a special exhibition titled "Beyond Textile: Crossing Boundaries" from June 5 to October 12.
The museum is operated by the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Textile and Fabric Industry Cooperative Association (Chairman Lee Seokki) in partnership with Daegu Textile Complex (DTC), under commission from the Daegu Metropolitan Government. This exhibition serves both as a retrospective of the past decade’s achievements and as an opportunity to explore the future potential and social value of textiles.
The exhibition highlights the limitless possibilities and advanced technologies of textiles, showcasing how textiles have evolved from being mere materials for clothing to becoming core materials in various industries. It also presents a vision for how textiles can transform future society.
Textiles are no longer just fabrics. This special exhibition is organized into three sections: textiles as advanced materials, the expansion of textile applications across industries through convergence with cutting-edge technology, and textiles that transform life and culture for a sustainable future. Each section explores the boundaries textiles cross and the changes they bring about.
The exhibition is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Textiles: Innovating Materials," explores the evolution of textiles into high-performance synthetic materials that form the foundation of future industries. Para-aramid and carbon fiber, for example, are materials known for their heat resistance and light weight, making them widely used in defense, aerospace, and construction sectors.
Textiles have moved beyond flexible fabrics to become key industrial resources. Notably, the "Invisible Clothes" section introduces so-called "invisibility cloak" technology, based on the principles of metamaterials, and features interactive exhibits where visitors can experience these principles firsthand.
Part 2, "Textiles: Crossing Industrial Boundaries," spotlights how textiles integrated with technology are opening new possibilities in daily life and across industries. Bicycles and archery bows made from carbon fiber, as well as aramid flame-resistant suits and safety helmets, demonstrate the power of textiles to deliver both functionality and safety. Additionally, a 3D-printed leather jacket dress using PolyJet technology exemplifies the application of digital manufacturing methods to textiles, showing how textile and fashion design are evolving alongside technology.
Part 3, "Textiles: Changing the Direction of Life," explores how AI and digital technology can blur the boundaries between creation and consumption when combined with textiles. Fashion photo shoots created with an AI-based "digital lookbook generation solution" and a virtual fashion show using museum collections illustrate the advent of an era in which technology is worn. At the same time, the exhibition addresses the environmental challenges facing the textile industry and the pursuit of sustainable material development. This exhibition is also an opportunity to consider the future direction and value of textiles amid technological innovation.
Designers focused on the future of sustainable fashion beyond technology will be in the spotlight for this exhibition. Lee Seungik (Rick Rhe) expands the boundaries of fashion’s possibilities and visual expression by using PolyJet 3D printing techniques to create three-dimensional textures on leather. Hannah Shin presents a new form of fashion that combines technology, tradition, and upcycling by designing a 3D-printed dress using FDM methods with discarded robot parts and surplus beads. BESFXXK showcases garments that merge technology and sensibility through the AI design platform "AiDA," exploring new harmonies in contemporary fashion. The works of these three designers will be unveiled in Daegu for the first time through this exhibition, offering creative yet responsible answers to future questions of sustainability, cultural interpretation, and the expansion of sensory experiences in the fashion industry.
In addition, this exhibition has been organized through a broad collaborative network spanning industry, art, and technology. Participants include Kim Wonhwa, Sung Taehun, Brism, the Department of Intermedia Art at Daegu Catholic University, the National Asia Culture Center and the National Asia Culture Center Foundation, and KAIP+Hyeonji.
Furthermore, leading Korean textile companies driving innovation in advanced materials?such as Bokwang INT, Sungkwang Tech, Orient Plastic, KSNT, Prototech, Kolon, Taekwang Industrial, and HS Hyosung Advanced Materials?are participating, along with Mitown and Laonbird, which lead the AI-based 3D content creation platform "EVOVA" and the digital lookbook production solution "LaonGEN." Their involvement adds expertise and practical relevance to the exhibition.
Over the years, the Daegu Textile Museum has showcased the trends and changes in modern and contemporary textile industries through its fashion, industry, and future galleries. This special exhibition builds on that foundation, highlighting not only the functional evolution of textiles but also their social and environmental value, and is expected to serve as a turning point toward the next decade. It also commemorates the 10-year journey of the museum and DTC, sharing the direction and vision for the future of the textile industry with the public. A museum official stated, "This special exhibition was planned to share the vision of innovation and sustainability in textiles with citizens," adding, "We hope this will be an opportunity to renew perceptions of textiles and highlight them as core technologies connecting future society and the environment through diverse exhibition content."
During the exhibition period, the Daegu Textile Museum will also operate a variety of related programs that reflect Daegu’s identity as a textile and fashion city. Through lectures, talks, and creative educational programs, people of all generations will have opportunities to experience and communicate about the future of textiles together.
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