Interactive Sound Textiles
Alina Nazari & Ricardo Rodrigues Erl
Sound Engineering & Sound Studies & Fine Arts, Design (Product Design)
Outside of UdK: AKT & Electrical Engineering (TU) & Materials Science (TU) & Cultural and Social Sciences (HU, FU)

Register by email at r.rodrigues-erl_ @udk-berlin.de by 17.10.2026 (end of the first week of the semester).

About
This student-led and student-organized course begins with a series of questions: How can embroidery, conductive yarns, and electronic components be transformed into sound-producing and interactive textile structures? How can we not only apply technologies and textile practices but also critically examine them and reflect on their cultural, social, and societal impacts? And what new forms of interaction between the body, material, movement, and sound emerge from this? As part of this interdisciplinary teaching and research format, guests from the fields of electronic textiles, audio engineering, human-centered design, and performance art will be invited to lead seminars throughout the course. The course explores the intersections of art, design, and technology. The goal is to engage in practical and theoretical experimentation with electronic textile speaker systems that convert body and textile movements into generated or reproduced acoustic signals. A critical examination of craft techniques (Critical Crafting), such as embroidery, sheds new light on the speakers and transforms them into significant artifacts. Speakers can thus be viewed as objects of culture, history, and storytelling, rather than as neutral technology. No prior knowledge of electronics, audio engineering, or textile design is required. Through workshops, prototyping, and collaboration with other students, participants will acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to develop their own projects. They are encouraged to explore the connections between the body, materials, sound, and technology both practically and theoretically. Project development and practical assignments are carried out in a collaborative group setting. The course is supplemented by contributions and mentoring from guest lecturers in the fields of art, technology, and science. It is taught bilingually in English and German and is part of the INTER project at the Berlin University of the Arts.

Time & Dates
bi-weekly, STR 206, Wednesdays from 10AM to 2PM
the course officially begins on 21.10.2026, with a brief introduction on 14.10.2026

Fulfilment criteria for ungraded accreditation
regular attendance at seminar sessions and participation in (group) projects

Credits
AKT: 6 ECTS in the “Advanced Audio Communication and Technology” module
Mode: 4 ECTS for MA students in the required-elective “Technology and Design”
           6 ECTS for MA students in the Adaptation Program, required-elective “Technology and Design”
KUM: Certificate for artistic-design and technical course