From Photoshop to 3D design and from apps to the metaverse: the speed at which these terms have become mainstream illustrates the swift pace of technological development. The question arises how this will affect contemporary crafts, and vice versa. At first glance, the two disciplines seem to be polar opposites: physical versus virtual, manual versus automatic. At the same time, passionate makers are active in both domains, dedicated to the creation of aesthetic, functional and challenging products – whether intended for the physical world or the universe within the edges of a computer screen.
It is not yet commonplace for these makers to meet, even if the cross-fertilisation between physical and digital technologies offers numerous opportunities for artistic, technical and social innovation. This perspective was the starting point for the incentive programme New Crafts of Crafts Council Nederland. Within this project, craftspeople and digital makers were brought together last year with the aim to stimulate knowledge exchange, experimentation and research.
