Textiles in Museums / Color and Pattern as Cultural Phenomena, Value Systems, and Technological Challenges

The Moravian Museum – Institute of Ethnography, in cooperation with the Textiles and Leather Working Group of the Commission of Conservator and Restorers at the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, and with the support of the Ethnographic Commission at the Czech Association of Museums and Galleries, the Secondary School of Art and Design and Higher Vocational School in Brno, and the Municipal Museum in Dvůr Králové nad Labem

announces the 22nd annual conference
Textiles in Museums / Color and Pattern as Cultural Phenomena, Value Systems, and Technological Challenges

CONFERENCE ABSTRACT
The study and interpretation of cultural heritage preserved in memory institutions can be the focus of numerous academic disciplines. From its very inception, the Textiles in Museums conference has positioned itself as an interdisciplinary platform offering experts from a range of academic fields the opportunity to jointly discuss issues related to the study of Central European clothing culture. This unique concept facilitates networking across disciplines, allowing historians, ethnographers, conservator-restorers, museum professionals, textile technologists, heritage preservationists, and academic researchers—theorists—to meet and inspire one another through their questions, research methods, and the very forms of their scholarly output. The organizers intentionally give each edition a specific thematic focus to enable all participants to explore in detail specific segments of the vast wealth of preserved cultural heritage. The central focus of the conference is always a collection, whether in the form of museum collections or holdings managed by heritage institutes, churches, other institutions, or individuals.

CONFERENCE OBJECTIVE
In 2026, the organizers decided to focus on two specific themes: color and pattern. They view color and pattern as significant cultural phenomena, value systems, and technological challenges. The conference will therefore examine both phenomena—color and pattern—from several perspectives: the interpretation of the preserved values of cultural assets for today’s visitors and the academic community; the selection of appropriate and suitable methods of preventive conservation and exhibition practices; and the application of these sociocultural phenomena in contemporary design and the applied arts.
To understand the history of clothing culture, textile technologies, and the cultural values associated with textile collections preserved in Czech and foreign collections of memory institutions, research into color and patterns is a broad field in which it is possible to continually discover new questions and, of course, answers regarding which colors were natural and which were gradually incorporated into textile production thanks to a broader and more sophisticated understanding of dyeing and printing technologies. Colors and patterns reflect the cultural values that particular eras and societies preferred, deliberately upheld, or deliberately rejected. Color and pattern are also an expression of personal preferences, political views, or social status—whether consciously or unconsciously adopted. Color and patterns are also linked to the cultural and economic development of regions where a significant community was engaged in textile or clothing production. Color and pattern are both a symbol and a sign.

The conference therefore provides a platform not only for a museological perspective on the contents of memory institutions’ collections, but also for historical explorations of textile technology, fashion, design, and regional history. Contributions analyzing the status or significance of textiles from a sociological, ethnological, or anthropological perspective are welcome. For a more detailed understanding of a selected category of textiles, contributions dealing with the analysis of production or decorative techniques are welcome. Color, in the case of textile objects, presents a significant challenge for conservators. This also applies from the perspective of preventive conservation in the context of exhibition projects. References to current and recent restoration and conservation projects will be a welcome contribution to the conference program, as these practical examples require specific knowledge, skills, or an individualized approach.
The conference aims to serve as a platform for speakers who will address these issues from a historical perspective, but also with an eye toward the future—that is, with a focus on efforts to preserve cultural heritage objects for future generations. Last but not least, the organizers also welcome contributions presenting exhibition activities in offline or online environments and modern approaches to educating the public on the topic in museum or gallery spaces.

TOPICS

• Color and pattern as cultural phenomena and value systems
• Textiles and their patterns in the collections of memory institutions
• Contributions to textile technologies (we will give priority to topics closely related to the conference’s focus)
• Examples and principles of care for textile objects in memory institutions (we will give priority to topics closely related to the conference’s focus)
• New exhibition and publication initiatives
• Presentation of textile collections in the online space

• Registration form and further information on the conference website Textiles in Museums / Color and Pattern as Cultural Phenomena, Value Systems, and Technological