"Dutch and Hungarian designers/artists were invited to do workshops with the glove making industry in Pécs, Hungary, creating new designs and art works. sept - okt 2010

The designers were Alexander Fielden, Ela Bauer, Chequita Nahar, Hester van Eeghen and Jackie Habets, the Dutch artists Silvia B, Rozemarijn Lucassen and Merijn Bolink and the Hongarian artists Dóra Palatinus en Zsuzsa Tresz. They worked together with the factories for one week.

Gloves have been produced in Pécs since 1761. Now there are six factories left. They produce exclusive gloves, limited editions, for labels like Boss, Luis Vuitton, Vivienne Westwood, Escada, Esprit and Chanel and for celebraties.

Never before these factories were accesible for designers and artists from 'outside'.

September 30th there was a Pecha Kucha event in the Nádor Galeria, in the centre of Pécs. The designers, artists and specialists of Pécs spoke about their work, combined with images of their work and inspirationsources.

The artist Elizabeth de Vaal (The Hague and Hongary) took the initiative and is organising the multiannual project FingerMarks, together with Jackie Habets, Karin van Paassen and the Accessories Foundation (Schiedam)."

- As written in parts of the press release.


The Pecs-week was an intensive period for me; I never worked abroad before, had no experience with factories, and it was a busy week. In total it was a very energizing experience for me. I found the

I was surprised of the scale of the factory where I worked, the Beatrix factory: small, personal and craft based. We were warmly welcomed. All the encounters inspired me, and I decided to work with the moment of meeting. In my opinion a fashionglove has a certain formality; it keeps distance. I wanted to crack that in my design; in my concept two people form a whole, by shaking eachother's righthand, as a puzzle piece that's completed.

Next to the design for the factory I have been busy with less applied ideas: the glove as exchangeable-skin (we use the skin of an other animal as protection, can our clothes afterwards be used by other animals as a home?), and I made a sketch animation about the use of waste as glovematerial.


For an impression of my process, see pictures and videos below.

(click on ? for a specific image description)

Links:

http://kesztyu.blog.hu is an Hongarian blog about fashiongloves by Beatrix Steiner; the daughter of the owner of the factory.

http://fingermarksblog.blogspot.com is a blog in English about the project FingerMarks, by Merijn Bolink and the other Dutch participants.