ReThinking CRAFTSMANSHIP – How can we preserve crafts?

As part of intangible cultural heritage, craftsmanship practices not only represent past traditions, but also contemporary methods of production focusing on sustainable use of natural materials in local manufacturing.
This exhibition aims to highlight different types of craftsmanship in relation to natural materials and the processes they undergo, how they relate to the current discourse on sustainability and environmental issues, and their relevance in cultural heritage.
In the face of increasing industrialization, mass production and globalisation, many traditional craftsmanship practices have been rendered stagnant — or in the worst case obsolete.
Passed on from generation to generation and varying through different regions, these practices, always evolving in response to a fastly changing world, continue to provide communities with a sense of identity and respect for cultural diversity.

ReInHerit – Make it your own
Who owns cultural heritage, and how will we deal with it in the future? These questions were the cornerstone of the EU-funded project “ReInHerit”, which is a joint venture by several cultural and educational institutions. In a collaborative process, the Graz Museum, together with the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens and the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation in Nicosia, developed a concept for a growing travelling exhibition, three digital exhibitions and a growing digital collection on the themes of conflict, craftmanship and gender roles. The mission of museums is to make cultural heritage accessible to an interested public. That is why we have explored the question of how objects can be presented in space when the original itself cannot be exhibited. The objects shown digitally in space by the three partner museums are given an unconventional form of presentation that offers innovative ways of interacting. The flexible exhibition concept will continue to grow steadily as it is adopted and expanded by other interested cultural institutions. The project show “ReThinking CONFLICTS – How are conflicts reflected in the object?” will launch at the Graz Museum.

In March 2023, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation will open the project show “ReThinking IDENTITIES” and “ReThinking CRAFTSMANSHIP”, which will also be on view at the Graz Museum in the course of the year.

Institutions and museums interested in taking on the project can find the necessary information on the ReInHerit Digital Hub from April 2023 or contact the following address in advance via email: reinherit@stadt.graz.at.