Motherboard – LOGIN

2024
Handwoven tencel and conductive fibers, electronics, and steel
69 x 21 x 24 inches

The design of the first computers was inspired by weaving looms, and computer programming was considered “women’s work” in the early 20th century, but by mid-century the computer industry began shifting to male domination. I imagined the kind of technology we might have today if history had unfolded differently and computers retained their connection to looms and traditionally female labor. I wove LEDs and conductive threads strategically into the layers of double woven cloth to control their connection to an Arduino, a tiny computer, that I programmed. The woven fabric functions like the plastic substrate of computer motherboards in this eTextile (electronic textile) installation.