Textile in the Museum / Transparent and elastic textiles through the eyes of the history of fashion, technology and conservation practice: Moravské zemské muzeum

Conference annotation

The study and interpretation of cultural heritage preserved in memory institutions can be the subject of a number of scientific disciplines. From the very beginning, the conference Textiles in the Museum has been profiled as an interdisciplinary platform offering experts from a number of disciplines the opportunity to discuss together issues related to the study of clothing culture in Central Europe. This unique concept enables contacts across disciplines, where historians, ethnographers, conservators-restorers, museum professionals, textile technologists, conservationists and academic theoreticians can meet and be inspired by their questions, research methods and the forms of scientific output. Intentionally, the organizers thematically profile each edition to enable all participants to map in detail the sub-segments of the vast wealth of preserved cultural wealth. The central focus of the conference is always the collection, whether in the form of museum collections or collections managed by the conservation institute, churches or other institutions or individuals.

Conference objective

In 2025, the focus is on two areas of textiles whose dominant properties are transparency and elasticity. The term transparent can refer to anything that is soft to transparent. These can be thin fabrics, lace, knits and embroidery. The conference opens up space not only for museological contributions but also for art historical, historical, archaeological or anthropological ones. For a more detailed understanding of the selected range of textiles, papers analysing technologies are welcome. Transparent textiles are one of the difficult restoration challenges. Mention of current and recent realisations will also be welcome.

The second challenge area of the conference covers elastic products, which include mainly clothing or home textiles made by knitting or lace-making techniques. In the past, this included, for example, hats, gloves, vests, sweaters, lace, home and utility textiles. These textiles may include the production of manufactories or workshops, but also of rural makers or private home production. In this case, the conference will be a place to share the fate of professional and amateur knitwear makers. We should also not forget the designs and realisations of fashion designers whose work can be followed through fashion and design collections. Knitwear has not yet attracted as much attention from the professional community as fabrics, but in terms of fashion history it has accompanied mankind from antiquity to the present day, and can be said to have experienced greater or lesser waves of interest from users. The conference therefore offers a space to look into institutional collections in order to survey the representation of knitwear or to capture different types of products in terms of technology, location, age, range of users and opportunities for use. Also for this heading, submissions will be accepted reporting on conservation interventions that require specific knowledge, skills or individual approaches.

The conference aims to be a platform for speakers who can focus on the issue in a historical perspective, but also with an eye to the future, i.e. with an eye to the preservation of cultural heritage objects for future generations. Last but not least, the organisers are also expecting contributions presenting exhibition activities in halls and in virtual environments and modern approaches to educating the topic in museum or gallery space.

Announced topics

Transparent and elastic textiles through the lens of fashion history
Transparent and elastic textiles in the collections of memory institutions
Contributions to production technologies (we will give priority to topics in relation to the focus of the conference)
Examples and principles of care of textile objects by memory institutions (we will give priority to topics in relation to the focus of the conference)
New exhibitions and publications
Collections of memory institutions in the online space

Instructions for speakers and authors of poster presentations

The conference is being prepared in face-to-face format. The organizers reserve the right to change the format of the conference with regard to the current hygiene rules in force in the Czech Republic at least one month before the date of the conference.

Contributions can be presented in Czech, Slovak, Polish or English.

Please fill in the application to participate in the conference with a contribution (maximum length 20 min.)or with a poster presentation in the online form below by May 16, 2025. You will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt of the application by e-mail. The participation in the conference can be consulted before sending the application at pmertova@mzm.cz.

Poster presentations will be located in the vestibule of the lecture hall, and authors will be provided with space to comment on the posters during breaks. Technical details for the presentation of posters will be provided to interested parties at ldufkova@mzm.cz.

Written outputs from the lectures will be accepted into the content of the peer-reviewed non-impact periodical Textiles in the Museum (evaluable output for RVVI/RIV) until May 31, 2025 at the address pmertova@mzm.cz.

Instructions for participants without a contribution

Please complete the applications to participate in the conference in the online form below by May 27, 2025. You will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt of the application by e-mail.

Applications toparticipate in the conference completed in the online form below after May 28, 2025 will be invoiced at a higher price rate. You will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt of the application by e-mail.

The definitive programme of the conference will be published on the MM website and simultaneously sent to registered participants electronically after 16 May 2025. In the event that the capacity of the lecture hall (90 people) is filled, the acceptance of applications will be stopped already before the deadline for applications.

Please note that the organizers do not provide accommodation for conference participants.

Conference fees

free of charge - full-time student at a secondary school or a university (a proof of study, e.g. ISIC is required)
850 CZK / person - invoicing based on the sent and completed application form delivered to the organizers by 27 May 2025 / the MM will send an invoice based on the data in the application form
1000 CZK / person - payment on the spot or invoicing based on the sent and completed application form delivered to the organizers after 28 May 2025 / the MM will send an invoice based on the data in the application form.

The organizer reserves the right to apply 100% cancellation fee in case of unexcused absence of registered participants. The organizer considers a written message in the organizer's e-mail correspondence at pmertova@mzm.cz as an excused absence. The message must be delivered no later than 11 p.m. on 11 June 2025 or by phone at 732 264 594.

Sign up form here: htps://forms.gle/a6W2ky4wmkZiimB18

Preliminary conference schedule

First conference day, 11 June 2025

10-11 a.m. registration of participants in the vestibule

1st block of lectures
11 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.

Refreshment break
12:15-13:30 p.m.

2nd block of lectures
13:30-14:45 p.m.

Refreshment break
14:45-15:00 p.m.

3rd block of lectures
15:00-16:15 p.m.

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME IN PREPARATION

Evening social event
From 19:00 p.m. - Representative premises of the City Hall of Brno Central District (Dominikánská 2)

Second conference day, 12 June 2025

1st block of lectures
9:00-10:15 a.m.

Refreshment break
10:15-10:30 a.m.

2nd block of lectures
10:30-11:45 a.m.

Refreshment break
11:45-12:00 a.m.

3rd block of lectures
12:00-13:15 p.m.

Ceremonial closing of the conference and recapitulation of the contents of the papers
13:15-13:30 p.m.

ACCOMPANYING PROGRAMME

Presentation of the company Moraviaflor, s.r.o. from Olešnice, engaged in the production of flowers from natural materials since 1869. For more information see the company's web presentation at https://www.moraviaflor.cz/.

Demonstration of contemporary knitting by MaTexLine from Brno. For more see the company's web presentation at https://matexline.cz/

Textile in the Museum / Transparent and elastic textiles through the eyes of the history of fashion, technology and conservation practice

Textile in the Museum / Transparent and elastic textiles through the eyes of the history of fashion, technology and conservation practice

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