Engineering Assistant: Matthias Mold
Generative Routing Pattern: Raimund Krennmüller
Embroidery Consultant: Susanne Frantal
Metal Thread Consultant: Sophie Fürnkranz
Crafting Assistants: Pascale Ballieul, Ramona Hirt, Ngo Thi Dao Nha, Katta Spiel, Isabella Wöber, Abdulrahman,
with special thanks to Eva Ganglbauer, Anna Masoner and Angela Posch

Embroidering a Computer (work in progress) is an exploration into using historic gold embroidery materials and knowledge to craft a programmable 8 bit computer.
Solely a variety of metal threads, magnetic, glas and metal beads, and being inspired by traditional crafting routines and patterns, the piece questions the appearance of current digital and electronic technologies surrounding us, as well as our interaction with them.

Technically, the piece consists of (textile) relays, similar to early computers before the invention of semiconductors. Visually, the gold materials, here used for their conductive properties, arranged into specific patterns to fulfill electronic functions, dominate the work. Traditionally purely decorative, their pattern here defines they function. They lay bare core digital routines usually hidden in black boxes. Users are invited to interact with the piece in programming the textile to compute for them.