Weaving Data

Featured Artists:

Faig Ahmed, April Bey, Jovencio de la Paz, Ahree Lee,
Kayla Mattes, Shelley Socolofsky, Joan Truckenbrod, Vo Vo, and Sarah Wertzberger

Curated by:

Theo Downes-Le Guin and Nancy Downes-Le Guin

Digital computing is deeply connected to weaving. The Jacquard weaving process, first demonstrated in 1801, gave instructions to a loom using holes punched in paper cards—an early form of binary code. Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine (1834), the blueprint for modern computing and algorithms, borrowed elements of its design from the Jacquard loom. One element was the punch card, which remained a primary medium for programming and inputting data to computers into the 1980s.

High technology’s roots in the Industrial Revolution may explain some of the biases and challenges currently facing the industry. Historically, narratives of industrialization have minimized the contributions of women, low-wage laborers, and people of color. This same habit of erasure now plays out in high tech’s origin myths and frequent failure to cultivate inclusivity in education, hiring, and product design.

The artists in this exhibition investigate the complex relationship between weaving and computing. Some use data analysis, while others use metaphor. Some collaborate with computers to make their weavings; others weave by hand, but use data or internet memes as a basis for woven patterns. Regardless of approach, these artists remind us that we all have a say in deciding which technologies and cultural values we choose to elevate.