T K F
GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG
DER TEXTIL - KUNST - FORSCHUNG

The
Austrian Society for Textile-Art-Research
“Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Textil-Kunst-Forschung (TKF)“
was founded as a non-profit association in Vienna in 1982.Their aim is to enhance the research and deepen the knowledge of the textile arts and to publish recently achieved results. Over the past years a large number of symposia and international conferences on ethnological textile arts and oriental carpets were held, numerous releases were published, and corresponding projects have been met with both advisory and financial support from various museums. In particular, TKF co-operate with UNESCO, the museum of ethnology “Museum für Völkerkunde”, the museum of natural history “Naturhistorisches Museum” in Vienna and the applied arts university “Universität für angewandte Kunst” by both advising students and supporting them financially.

Here are a few examples of events and topics presented either in autonomy or in collaboration:

• 2009:
  General assembly in Vienna with guided tour through the Foitl Collection and lectures
  
  Program day in Vienna: "Fälschung, Kopie und Pseudowissenschaft"
  April at Schallaburg - "Napoleon" (Dr. Pfaffenbichler) - lecture about french tapestries.
  Mai/June in Salzburg - program day with exibitions and lectures
  September at Stift Admont - liturgical textiles from the treasue chamber
  
  Lectures about liturgical textiles in Christianity, Judaism and Islam
• 2008:
  Excursion to Budapest
  Excursion to Schallaburg
  Journey to Armenia together with Georg Telfeyan
  Exibition „Gewebt & Geknüpft III“ – Schloß Aschach/Linz with lecture by P. Hoffmeister (D), Dr. M. Klimberg (A), S. Jansen (D), and A. Boralevi (I)
  
  Prammer Collection im Pergamonmuseum Berlin
  Völkerkundemuseum Wien – presentation of Foitl Collection, lecture, publication
  Hofburg- the Haus Besim presents the Belutsch-Collection Walter incl bookpresentation.
• 2007:
  Crusaders exhibition “Kreuzritter” including a lecture relating to carpets at Schallaburg castle
  “Benin” show at the re-opened Völkerkundemuseum Wien (ethnological museum in Vienna)
  Presentation of the Dr. Foitl Collection at the re-opened Völkerkundemuseum Wien (museum of ethnology in Vienna)
  “IV. Textil & Kulinarium” (4th Textiles & culinary art) – unknown pieces from private collections
  Symposium „26th Meeting of Dyes in History and Archeology“ (DHA26) at Naturhistorisches Museum Wien (Museum of Natural History in Vienna)
• 2006
  Symposium in Linz (in co-operation with the museum of arts Lentos):
  Kelim and modernity – an encounter at the Lentos
• 2005:
  Lectures: Naga Textiles (a people in Eastern India)
  Central-Asian Textiles from the Altai Mountains and the Taklamakan Desert
  Bogulan Mud Cloths from Mali
• 2004:
  Symposium (in co-operation with the museum of natural history “Naturhistorisches Museum” in Vienna): Hallstatt – Textiles Show at Schloss Aschach castle by river Danube: Woven & Knotted II – Antiquity – Carpets from Upper Austrian Private Ownership
  Lectures: Replica and Forgery – Theodor Tuduc the master forger
  Unpublished pre-historic Textiles from Pazyryk

Scheduled for 2010:

• March 13th
  General assembly at Völkerkundemuseum in Vienna
  Lecture programme: “Ecclesiastical textiles in Judaism”
  Lectures by Ina Hoffmann (D), Dana Veselska (CS) and Alberto Boralevi (I)
  

• April 24th
  “The Phrygians and their textile heritage” – Ulrich Tuerk shows connections between recent Anatolian carpet, Cicim, and Zili patterns to Phrygian patterns.
  “Sprang” in antique portrayals of Skythian and Persian clothes – according to an article in ATN – Dagmar Drinkler.
• May 15th
  TKF-Day in Graz
  Lectures by Andrea Klobucar (Zagreb), G. Butterweck (A)
  Great “Show & tell” with culinary evening
  
• June 12th
  TKF summer talk: “Textile identities: Bedrohte Schönheit (beauty in jeopardy)” – with collector’s choice
• September (3rd – 11th )
  Schloss Aschach – “Gewebt und geknüpft IV”
  Carpets and textiles from Eastern Turkestan, China and India.
  Lecture programme (4th – 5th ) “TKF – Highlights of the year”
• October (23rd – 24th)
  Berlin, Volkmann meeting in collaboration with the Museum of Islamic Art (State museums of Berlin)

Scheduled for 2011:

The members of TKF will be invited personally to the events.