Textiles as Ecological Archives: Regeneration, Memory, and Sustainability Cover Image

Textilele ca arhive ecologice: regenerare, memorie și sustenabilitate
Textiles as Ecological Archives: Regeneration, Memory, and Sustainability

Author(s): Valentina ŞTEFĂNESCU
Subject(s): Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts
Published by: Editura Universității de Vest
Keywords: textiles; ecological archives; material memory; regeneration; sustainability; eco-design; contemporary art;

Summary/Abstract: This article explores the concept of textiles as ecological archives, analysing how textile materials function simultaneously as carriers of memory, living organisms subject to transformation, and platforms for sustainable practice. Starting from the premise that fibres register the traces of the body, time, and nature, the study follows three main directions: material memory, ecological processes, and the ethical dimension of sustainability. Textiles preserve affective and cultural imprints through wear and repair; they regenerate through natural processes such as plant dyeing, eco-printing, oxidation, or mycelium cultivation; and they re-enter social and economic cycles through reuse and upcycling. Contemporary artists such as Celia Pym, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Claudy Jongstra, and Diana Scherer demonstrate that textiles can operate as living archives capable of documenting relations between nature, culture, and community. In this sense, textiles are no longer perceived merely as utilitarian objects but as active entities reflecting the interdependence of aesthetics, ecology, and social responsibility. The article thus proposes a holistic view of textiles as documents of the past and regenerative resources for a sustainable future.

  • Issue Year: 2025
  • Issue No: 13
  • Page Range: 238-243
  • Page Count: 6
  • Language: English, Romanian
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