A Mediterranean Crafts Archive (Archivio dei Saperi Artigianali)
 

A Mediterranean Crafts Archive (Archivio dei Saperi Artigianali)

November 2015
 

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neo~local design

 

The result of an accurate fieldwork carried out in Sardinia, Morocco and Egypt, Mediterranean Crafts Archive (Archivio dei Saperi Artigianali) is an on-line resource on craftsmanship knowledge in the Mediterranean.

 
 

Mediterranean Crafts Archive (Archivio dei Saperi Artigianali) is an on-line resource on craftsmanship knowledge in the Mediterranean basin, the result of an extensivel fieldwork carried out in Sardinia, Morocco and Egypt.

Craftmen at work in Chefchaouen, Morocco.

The archive currently encompasses over 1,800 records on artifacts, in weaving, basketry, embroidery, with particular emphasis on techniques and materials, on the physical workshops and on the actual craftsmen. More than 5 thousand pictures and 30 audiovisual (interviews), especially made for the archive, are part of the web resource.

Working on raw wool in Boujaad, Morocco.

The archive is not intended as a static repository for training new craftsmen, or as a tool directed to scholars and experts in the field. Thought as a lively and dynamic repository, it is a place to host a ‘useful’ memory, where knowledge about artifacts and people can become the subject of new interpretations: a knowledge-tool opened to the community.

In this perspective, traditional knowledge can be transferred to anyone willing to embark on a journey of discovery aimed at transforming this knowledge into new projects.

Textile sample, Isili, Sardinia 1976 (from the archive).

Made possible thanks to a grant for the Regional Government of Sardinia, the project is coordinated by Roberta Morittu.

Hanbal carpet, Zaèrs tribe, Niddle Atlas, Morocco 1950 (from the archive).

 

 

Roberta Morittu

Designer, Cagliari

 

A professional with wide expertise in craft re-thinking, Roberta has a long-time experience in managing cooperation projects on craftsmanship in Morocco and Algeria. As co-designer of the ‘Domo Biennale of Sardinian Crafts’, she was recently awarded the ‘Compasso d’oro’ Award. Last year, Roberta started teaching interior design at our Department.

 
Morittu