Aino Ojala

I Feel You

Dialogue between weaving, touch, and electronics

I Feel You is a series of woven interactive textiles that imitate living beings. The theme of the work emerged from the yearning for touching and closeness. It speculates how electronic textiles could create an illusion of being close to another living creature.

I Feel You is a speculative textile research project looking into the possibilities of creating multi-sensory electronic textiles that imitate living beings. In the process, Aino Ojala examined what kinds of textile surfaces humans can identify through the sense of touch, what type of touch is experienced as soothing, and how to bring reactivity into woven textiles. Ojala used this knowledge to create a series of interactive textile pieces.

An interest in the interaction between the human body and materials and in conductive textiles and weaving inspires the work. The series consists of digitally woven multilayered textiles that react to touch when combined with electronics. The materials include linen, cotton, responsible mohair, wool, and electrically conductive threads. Traditional materials and techniques interweave with new technologies, creating multi-sensory, touchable worlds. 

The theme emerged from a yearning for touch. During the pandemic, Ojala imagined a world where we are increasingly separated from each other and robots and friends accompany us. The work speculates how textiles could create an illusion of being close to another living creature.