The opening of the MADE IN: Crafts – Design Narratives exhibition in Germany

The opening of the exhibition MADE IN: Crafts – Design Narratives is happening on November 4th in Schneeberg, Germany.

MADE IN is an international platform for research, design and cultural heritage, devoted to new possibilities of cooperation and exchange of knowledge between artisanal workshops and creatives. Co-financed by the Creative Europe Programme, craftspeople, designers and theoreticians had the opportunity to investigate questions around artisanal traditions and production conditions in today’s societies.

The Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden together with the Applied Arts Schneeberg, Faculty of the University of Applied Sciences Zwickau present the results of this creative and artistic exchange for the first time in Germany. The exhibition is part of the regional program PURPLE PATH of the European City of Culture Chemnitz + Region 2025. For the station in Schneeberg additional exhibits from the degree program Wood Design of the Faculty of Applied Arts Schneeberg enrich the exhibition.

The slogan “Made in …” usually refers to industrial production, which is almost anonymous and in large parts fully automated. In our current times of technological transformation and a limit of resources, we feel the need to know more about the origin of our products: where are goods produced? Who fabricates them? What are they made of? Craftsmanship and artisanal traditions provide answers to these questions. Central to the exhibition is an “artisanal archive” which presents the works and histories of almost 40 craft businesses in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia. Departing from this, project groups of these artisans and creatives from all of Europe have dealt with specific themes and challenges of their regions. The results of their work come in various shapes and forms and contribute to the exhibition.