News Release
9th August 2006
AIC Craftsperson creates piece for Kilkenny Festival using Smart Materials
The Adaptive Information Cluster and the Crafts Council of Ireland is delighted to announce that the first craftsperson in residence in an Irish university, Tara Carrigy has produced a performance piece for Kilkenny Arts Festival which incorporates smart materials being developed at both UCD and DCU.
This amazing new initiative ‘Adaptive Craft’, has seen Tara actively working with researchers in chemistry, engineering and computing, along with an AIC support team, techno-textiles expert Marie O’Mahony and the Crafts Council of Ireland over the last six months to develop a new ‘Smart Garment’. The garment will be strong on technology with a distinctive craft component.
The first stage in the development of this garment will be worn at the Kilkenny Arts Festival on 14th August by Capoeira dancers who will delight children with their performance piece ‘Jacare Jungle’. Tara is not giving much away at this stage but it promises to be a high impact performance piece – one not to be missed at Kilkenny Arts Week! http://www.kilkennyarts.ie/events/index.php?view=fullevent&value=72
This initiative is the brainchild of Prof. Dermot Diamond, Director of the Adaptive Information Cluster
http://www.adaptiveinformation.ie
Dermot has many links with the arts and crafts community and the idea of such collaboration came to him whilst at the Kilkenny Arts Festival last year. He believes in breaking down barriers among science, craft, design and technology. Having been approached, the Crafts Council was eager to collaborate and agreed to co fund this unique initiative with the AIC. All craftspeople, particularly those with an interest in textiles were invited to submit a proposal. Interest in the initiative was high and the calibre of candidates was excellent.
The successful craftsperson was Tara Carrigy, a Dublin-based printed textile designer who lectures part-time in the National College of Art and Design, as well as producing work for clients such as Lainey Keogh, John Rocha, Ali Malek and Fenn Wright and Manson. As such, Tara has a wealth of relevant experience and was excited at the prospect of extending her practice through research, technology and collaboration.
Tara
came up with the concept of ‘Smart Yoga wear’. As a yoga practitioner herself, she understands the frustration of not being able to monitor whether her breathing and posture are correct. ‘This new suit could revolutionise all that’, she says. ‘The suit, when fully developed, will help people practice yoga in their own home and will look great as well! It will incorporate smart fabrics being developed at the university where the fabric itself will monitor changes in pressure. Tiny transmitters will take readings from the garment to show how the moves and breathing are being performed’. Tara will incorporate pattern design so that the garment will not only be high tech and fully functional, but it will have a strong aesthetic appeal.
For further information please contact
maria.johnston@dcu.ie
View video of sensors at work