
Fiber & Fungi: A Weaving and Myco-remediation Exploration with Textile Artist Minga Opazo
February 11 @ 11:30 pm - February 12 @ 1:30 am
Open to Stanford students & postdocs
This workshop offers an immersive introduction to the intersection of traditional weaving techniques and innovative myco-remediation practices. The session begins with a theoretical overview, exploring the history of weaving as a craft deeply embedded in human culture and its evolving role in sustainable practices. Students will also delve into current research on textile waste and its environmental impact. Through hands-on instruction, participants will learn basic weaving skills and use found textiles to create unique woven pieces. A portion of each student’s creation will be contributed to a myco-remediation project, where the woven textiles will be layered with mycelium to form experimental samples. These samples will be inoculated with mycelium, demonstrating the potential of fungi, to break down textile waste. The workshop highlights the conceptual link between materiality, craft, and ecological responsibility, culminating in the labeling and submission of each sample for further laboratory research into sustainable waste management solutions.
Open to only 20 participants; half the spots are reserved for grad students in STEM fields.
We will notify you by Feb 7 to confirm your participation.
About the Artist
Minga Opazo is a fourth-generation textile artist whose work critically engages with the intersections of climate change, contemporary textile production, and the historical narratives of Chilean textile design. Born in Chile and immigrated to Los Angeles at the age of 16, Opazo’s practice interrogates the implications of textile waste through the lens of Solastalgia—a term denoting the emotional distress associated with environmental degradation in an age of excessive consumption.
Her artistic endeavors emphasize rigorous research into the textile industry, aiming to illuminate systemic challenges while proposing innovative solutions to the pressing issue of textile waste. Opazo holds a BFA from the University of California, Berkeley (2016) and an MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (2020).
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This event is hosted by the Stanford Arts Institute (SAI) in collaboration with ITALIC and with support from the Office of the Vice President for the Arts.
If you need a disability-related accommodation for this event, please contact us at artsinstitute@stanford.edu at least two weeks prior to the event.