Successfully Realized Workshop: Soft Systems: Generative Art and Embroidery
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About the workshop
As part of the international CraftWork 4.0 All project, an intensive, interdisciplinary program titled Soft Systems: Generative Art and Embroidery was held in Belgrade from March 4th to 14th, 2026. Organized in collaboration with Nova Iskra, the Goethe-Institut, and with the support of the Center for the Promotion of Science, this workshop brought together young artisans and enthusiasts to explore the unique intersection of computer logic and the tactile tradition of embroidery.
Under the mentorship of Aleksandra Jovanić, an artist and programmer, and Katarina (KezVez), an artist redefining contemporary embroidery, participants journeyed from digital algorithms on a screen to physical objects in their hands.
From Code to Fabric: Two Phases of the Creative Process
The program was divided into two key phases designed to bridge the gap between the digital and analog worlds:
Generative Art – Pattern Logic: In the first phase, the focus was on the Processing software environment. Instead of drawing static images, participants learned “systems thinking”—creating sets of rules and variables capable of producing infinite design variations. Here, algorithms were not merely calculations but tools for developing personal visual identities and modular patterns.
Embroidery – Tactile Translation: The second phase moved digital results from the screen to the needle. Participants explored how the “perfect” logic of code behaves when it meets the physical resistance of thread and the texture of fabric. By combining machine embroidery (focusing on precision and stitch density) and hand embroidery (where human imperfection adds unique aesthetic value), participants materialized their digital systems.
The workshops, which took place across three locations—the Goethe-Institut, Nova Iskra Savamala, and the Center for the Promotion of Science—concluded on March 14th, but the project does not stop here.
The works created during this process will be exhibited in the coming period as part of the CraftWork 4.0 project, offering the wider public insight into how technology can empower, rather than replace, traditional craft skills.
The project is supported by the Creative Europe programme.
