Design for Innovation With Tradition: Towards a ‘New’ Cycle of Linen-making

Conference: The European Conference on Arts, Design & Education (ECADE2022)
Title: Design for Innovation With Tradition: Towards a ‘New’ Cycle of Linen-making
Stream: Strategies for Promoting Cultural Sustainability
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Authors:
Cristiane Menezes, University of Aveiro, Portugal
Vasco Branco, University of Aveiro, Portugal
Nuno Dias, University of Aveiro, Portugal
Abhishek Chatterjee, University of Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract:

This article presents the fieldwork component of an ongoing doctoral research project in design that addresses the imminent disappearance of a specific context of traditional linen-based textile production, presently among the last surviving linen-making cultures in Portugal. The cycle "from seed to towel" is an ancient tradition kept alive in the parish of Castelões located in the foothills of the Caramulo mountain range, Central Portugal. The knowledge of the process, which covers more than twenty manual stages of linen-making from the linen seeding to fabrics production, has been passed down generations spanning centuries. Linen production once prevailed throughout the Portuguese territory, especially in the northern and central regions, however, in recent years, it has drastically declined due to various factors, leaving Castelões as one of the few remaining centres where the artisanal linen-making is still in practice and can still be observed. The research’s main objective is to attach and promote to contemporaneity the value that this ancient process represents in terms of cultural, agricultural, and industrial heritage. The article, thereby, discusses findings and methodologies that are emerging from a convergence of “being-centered design” with ethnographic approaches in this context, which has brought together local linen artisans alongside design researchers and educators towards addressing the common goal of keeping the traditional culture alive, relevant, and economically sustainable. The paper also reflects on how this process is contributing towards articulating the doctoral research's central inquiry into the significance of what is 'new' and ‘innovation’ in the context of design and tradition.

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