In-between

The digital and physical worlds have never been more connected than they are today. The advent of Internet 3.0 and the virtual environment of the Metaverse aims to achieve a perfect unification of digital and physical reality. This symbiosis of realities and virtual lifestyles is having a profound effect on the appearance of the offline environment. We are already witnessing a phenomenon called Digital-real, which explores the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds and how our perception of reality through screens changes our understanding of the physical world. An important example of this trend in design practice is the process of designing products with an emphasis on their online presentation or creating design experiments that reflect digital forms in form and colour. Textile designer Zuzana Zmateková, whose work deals with the integration of new media into textile design, decided to explore the translation of digital design into physical form in her project In-between. In creating a collection of three fabrics, Zmateková focused on exploring the colours and shapes that dominate the contemporary virtual environment. She then combined the resulting colour palette to create three sophisticated colour gradients. The gradient, as one of the most frequented elements of digital interfaces, was complemented by compositions of abstract shapes. These shapes are 3D representations of computer mouse drawings that mimic shapes popular in contemporary 3D aesthetics. The digitally designed collection was then transformed into textile form with the help of jacquard weaving experts. This exhibition presents a unique look at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds, showing how new media are shaping contemporary textile design. The project was supported by a public grant from the Slovak Arts Council.