| When | Where | Participants |
| 11 - 12.06.2025 |
KO-OP | 10 |
| 10:00 a.m. | Dimitar Petkov 64 | |
| Sofia, Bulgaria |
Loose Threads is a risoprint pattern workshop inspired by the diploma work “Paper Thread” of the Polish graphic designer Radek Gorniak
Paper Thread tells the story of the Kowary Karpet Factory, situated at the base of the Karkonosze Mountains in south-western Poland. After upgrading its production methods in the 1960s, the factory grew to an impressive enterprise that employed over 3000 workers, exporting woven carpets worldwide. The carpet patterns were first meticulously hand-painted on paper by a team of female designers and then used to program the weaving machines. In 2009 the factory closed its doors, leaving behind little of its impressive library of designs.
In this risography workshop in Slopi Kopi, the Polish graphic designer Radek Gorniak will delve into his research-based methodology. He will make a short introduction about his practice and other relevant examples of artists doing site work/research, emphasizing the playful and visual aspects of this type of practice. Radek will also introduce the concept of non-traditional archiving by active artistic gestures and recontextualizing found material. Then will dive into a short historical overview of the textile and carpet industry in Bulgaria.
DAY ONE
10:30 – 16:30 (with a lunch break around 13:00)
We begin with a gentle introduction: the Polish graphic designer Radek Gorniak shares a bit about his practice, his graduation project, and some examples of artists who’ve turned research and place into playful visual works. We’ll open up the floor for everyone to introduce themselves – just enough to get that group feeling going.
From there, we move into a brief historic peek at the textile and carpet industry in Bulgaria, setting the tone for the kind of materials we’ll soon be reworking. If there’s time before lunch, we’ll get our first taste of the Risograph: how it works, how to prep files, mix colors, and do a digital CMYK separation. If not, we’ll jump into that right after the break.
The afternoon is hands-on and fast-paced. We’ll look at examples of textile patterns, how they repeat, what rhythms they follow, and begin our visual research. Participants will be encouraged to cut, copy, layer, block, and remix materials quickly and instinctively. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s discovery. We’ll close the day reflecting on what elements of the materials stirred something in us, and what we might want to carry into the next day.
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DAY TWO
10:30 – 16:30 (with a lunch break around 13:00)
We pick up where we left off, looking at what emerged and asking: where can this go? Each participant (or duo, depending on group experience and comfort with the tools) will start shaping their own section for the publication.
We’ll choose our favorite sketches and experiments, refine them, and prepare the final files. Then comes the heart of the workshop: printing. Color by color, layer by layer, the Risograph does its part while everyone continues adjusting and helping one another.
By late afternoon, we’ll start assembling the publication, no double-sided printing (we’re keeping it punk and simple). Each person contributes one section – either 4 prints on 8 papers, or 8 on 16 – and prepares 10 copies: one for each participant, one for the facilitator, and one for the FIG archive.
Binding will be simple and gritty: stapled sections, then glued into one shared volume. Publications will be ready for pickup the next day. We close with a well-deserved toast, admiring each other’s work, flipping through the pages, and maybe leaving a bit of ink on our fingers.
The workshop will also include a short introduction for beginners about how the riso works and about color separation, so no experience in riso printing is needed.
Radek Górniak is a graphic designer specializing in typography, printed matter and unusual forms. In 2021 he graduated with honours from the Graphic Design programme at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague, and is currently based in Warsaw. His work on the Sandberg Instituut ‘22 Diploma Catalogue (The Salmon of Knowledge) has been awarded the Student Jury Award of the Best Dutch Book Designs in 2023 and exhibited at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. In the past he has collaborated with design studios such as NODE Berlin, Sometimes Always and Our Polite Society, and currently works for the Pangram Type Foundry.
The workshop is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund.
Please note that your place is only reserved at the moment you have already paid for your ticket. This can be done via online payment or on-site at the KO-OP art space