Soft Connection Lab: Braid to Connect / Vlechten voor verbinding
Dirk Van Gogh ,Helena De Smet, Veerle Tytgat, Vera Roggli, Elien Haentjens
Owl Press, 2026
€35,00
Inspired by pre-industrial braiding techniques and the collective Maypole dance, Soft Connection Lab explores how tangible actions can elicit intangible connections. How can braiding contribute to sensory, emotional, or sustainable material and interpersonal relationships?
Through four “Soft Tools” and a focus on collaborative making, Soft Connection Lab aims to place a sense of meaning back at the heart of design and making practices, acting as a counterweight to the lack of connection in our society. Rather than focusing merely on producing an object, Soft Connection Lab concentrates on creating relationships that foster empathy and dialogue.
This publication brings together the experiments and insights from a four-year research project at KASK & Conservatorium – School of Arts HOGENT Howest. The book invites you to draw inspiration from open design systems that encourage interpretation, play, and collaborative making. With its Soft Tools—rooted in the past yet oriented toward the future—Soft Connection Lab seeks to stimulate creatives, spark inventiveness, and sharpen critical collective awareness.
ISBN: 9789493499706
