From 28 March 2026, the TextielMuseum presents Man <3 Machine – 25 Years of TextielLab. The exhibition marks a quarter of a century of TextielLab: the professional workshop of the TextielMuseum in Tilburg, where artistic imagination and technological innovation come together.
The exhibition features works by Peter Struycken, Koen Taselaar, Aiko Tezuka, Jan Taminiau, Aleksandra Gaca, Bertjan Pot, Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe, Fransje Gimbrère, Samira Boon, Ursula Wagner and Mae Engelgeer.
An ode to boldness and imagination
Man <3 Machine – 25 Years of TextielLab celebrates experimentation, collaboration and progress. The exhibition shows how textiles continue to evolve when human creativity and machine technology reinforce one another, and how this relationship can result in surprising, beautiful and ground-breaking work.
From first machine to an international hub
The story begins 25 years ago with a bold decision: by placing the first computer-controlled weaving machine at the heart of the museum, the TextielMuseum developed into a progressive museum where production and presentation converge. Today, the TextielLab is an international incubator for textile creation and a vital springboard for both emerging and established talent. A place where technology is never the end point, but always the starting point for new possibilities.
Weaving without limits
The exhibition, with spatial design by Studio Parade, brings together eleven impressive artworks created at the TextielLab over the past 25 years. The presentation is enriched by video portraits of the weavers, artists and designers involved, offering insight into the making process and the collaborative nature of the work.
At the heart of the exhibition is computer controlled weaving, the technique that has earned the TextielLab international recognition. Within this process, the interaction between human imagination and digital technology becomes visible. Thanks to their speed and exceptional precision, the weaving machines are able to build complex structures layer by layer, unlocking new possibilities for form, colour and material.
Danique Klijs, conservator en curator of Mens <3 Machine – 25 years TextielLab: “The TextielLab has never been just a place of technology. Here, artists, technicians and machines challenge one another. This anniversary exhibition shows how weaving has developed over 25 years into an experimental medium in which human imagination and collaboration remain indispensable, precisely because of technology.”
Mens <3 Machine – 25 jaar TextielLab
Textielmuseum, Tilburg
28 March – 11 october, 2026
textielmuseum.nl
Photogrpahy: Josefina Eikenaar, Patty van den Elshout
