FLORENCE, ITALY – Quality, excellence, novelty – these are the principles which led to the creation of the 83rdFlorence International Artisan Fair, to be held at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence from 24 thApril to 1 stMay 2019 with a brand-new format and a totally new staging. The Fair aims at promoting real handicrafts, single artisans and producers, in line with the original purposes of the its first edition dating back to 1931, a first in Italy at that time.
This year, Firenze Fiera’s choice was supported by a Scientific Committee of experts which examined the quality of exhibitors and of side projects, with a view to take visitors on an exciting and educational journey through the roots of ingenuity and of handmade products, with a wide range of rich and unprecedented offers: live demonstrations, workshops, guided tours, great exhibitions and prestigious participations, thanks also to the contribution of institutions and sector associations.
“With MIDA 2019, we decided to completely renew the Fair by privileging quality, and we also followed the ambition to turn Florence into a privileged platform for artisanal excellence. We have all that it takes to become the Italian and European heart of this sector. Florence’s candidature as UNESCO Creative City is a further boost towards this objective, and towards a project shared by institutions, including the Florence Municipality, foundations, associations and private parties”, said Leonardo Bassilichi, President of Firenze Fiera.
Every day, from 10.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m., MIDA 2019 will be a lively and multi-faceted mosaic of products and events, thanks to the over 500 exhibitors coming from every corner of Italy, from European countries such as Denmark, France, Poland, Russia, Spain,and from countries outside Europe like Azerbaijan, participating in the Fair for the first time, Myanmar, China, India, Iran, Madagascar, Nepal, Morocco, Syria, South Africa, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam. An infinite variety of artisanal creations, going from the “know-how” of ancient workshops to the futuristic boosts of digital handicrafts and makers.
To increase the manufacturers visibility on new markets and to create new opportunities in the internal market, over60 buyers, journalists and international sector professionals will be hosted at the Fair on 24 thand 25 thApril, thanks to a project named “Meet the artisans” curated by PromoFirenze, a special agency of the Florence Chamber of Commerce. Following a careful profiling, companies participating in MIDA 2019 will have the chance to present their own productions to commercial and cultural representatives of the most interesting European markets (among which, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland) end to extra-European countries such as Canada, Japan and the United States, thanks to the creation of customised itineraries inside the Fair, according to the areas of interest of each visitor.
Every day, from 8.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m., MIDA 2019 will be open with free admission to allow everyone to visit the two great exhibitions of the Fair. A tribute to our territory, Firenze su misura Wunderkammer (Tailor-Made Florence – Cabinets of Curiosities) and Le sette meraviglie della Toscana (The Seven Wonders of Tuscany), and a way to enjoy the delights of Corte dei Sapori (Court of Flavours). The best food/street food and catering services will offer you a unique tasting experience inside the new areas curated by CNA, Confartigianato, Confcommercio and Confesercenti. Here, the 10 thanniversary of Gelato Festival will also be celebrated. Guest of Honour: Paolo Pomposi of “Badiani”, the first Tuscan to climb the heights of the Gelato Festival World Ranking, the world ranking of the best international ice cream-makers.
Firenze su misura Wunderkammer (Tailor-Made Florence – Cabinets of Curiosities), curated by OMA – Osservatorio dei Mestieri d’Arte e Gruppo Editoriale and staged by EligoStudio, features iconic works of 60 Florence master artisans inside six cabinets of curiosities.
Le sette meraviglie della Toscana (The Seven Wonders of Tuscany), curated by Once Extraordinary Eventsgathers a compendium of territorial artisanal beauty inside the Polveriera area, through an itinerary dedicated to the best Tuscan craft businesses.
Inside the charming Sala Ottagonale (Octagonal Hall), MIDA 2019 will also preview Sonus Firenze, a multimedia installation produced by Sensemedia, exploring the poetry of our territory through an itinerary of sounds and rhythms coming from artisans at work.
Ori e Tesori (Gold Treasures) is back to represent precious jewellery from Tuscany, offering live jewellery, sculpture, design and 3D-print workshops inside the Sala delle Colonne.
Del mestiere di Leonardo: Immaginare e realizzare il futuro (Leonardo’s Trade – Imagining, Planning and Making the Future) is the name of a series of meetings-conversations paying tribute to the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. A debate on the relationship between science, art, technique and innovation proposed by Fondazione Giovanni Michelucciand Fondazione Architetti Firenze, also to support Florence’s candidature as UNESCO Creative City. On the 25 th, 27 thand 29 thApril 2019, guests of the highest repute will debate on the cultural role of artisans: makers of their own destiny as in the Renaissance, imagining, designing and crafting their own works with ingenuity, sensitivity, knowledge and technical skills.
The Cavaniglia pavilion will be placed in the care of EligoStudioand will feature a section calledAtelier. Tempi e forme dell’artigianato (Atelier. Times and Shapes of Handicrafts). A selection, by invitation only, of artisans and businesses marking the important return of the Esercizi Storici Fiorentini (the Historic Florence Shops) and of theBotteghe dell’Oltrarno (the Oltrarno Workshops) to the Fair. Next to them, prestigious companies from the design world, in addition to a section devoted to Murano glass.
The pavilion atmosphere will be completed by a special film festival of documentaries devoted to handicrafts and its relationships with design culture curated by Porzia Bergamasco, Antonella Dedini and Silvia Robertazzi of Milano Design Film Festival, providing a background and taking the topics of this revamped edition of the Fair to new cinematographic heights.
The new section devoted to young talents is called Nuovissimi (Brand New). The entire Rastrigliapavilion will open its doors to technological innovations, makers, circular economy, digital handicrafts and self-productions. An Arenaset up inside this space for seminars and conferences, and a full programme of workshops and specialised meetings will offer visitors the opportunity to discover the latest generation handicrafts and their connections with new technologies.
The pavilion will also host one of the ten sculptures made by young Florentine artist Simafra for a project named “Memorie di Russia a Firenze” (Russian Memories in Florence), organised for the next edition of Artigianato e Palazzo, taking place from 16 thto 19 thMay 2019. These sculptures turn the famous folkloristic Russian dolls into concentric globes, in which “geological eras” are represented by materials which can be found in Siberian mines and deposits – gold, malachite, diamonds, hard coal and gas.
Inside the Arsenale pavilion, to celebrate the 25 thanniversary, the Club del Punto in Croce (Cross-Stitch Club) will exhibit embroidery, laceworks and quilts and will offer daily free workshops with expert seamstresses to learn techniques including bobbins for lace pillow, cross-stitching, thread embroidery and traditional knitting.
The section hosted by the Spadolini pavilion is called Territori (Territories), confirming its central role within the Fair. On the ground floor, L’Italia (Italy), with professional artisans, as well as regional and territorial collective associations. The section is furtherly enriched with the exhibiting project MAGNIfico Ingegno (MAGNIficent Genius), a tribute to the works of wood artist Vinicio Magni – and with a special section devoted to Home, curated by SiCrea.
On the lower floor of the pavilions, once again visitors will find Il Mondo (The World) dedicated to international handicrafts, bringing the charm of faraway countries to MIDA 2019, with proposals of artisans from Azerbaijan, participating in the Fair for the first time, along with Cyprus. The presence of Chinawill also be prominent with the Creative Twin Cities project, featuring over 20 companies and artisanal brands involved in live demonstrations, to present the beauty of a century-old craft culture.
On Tuesday, 30 thApril, Iran, participating in the Fair with a collective group of young artisans, will present “Due Mondi da esplorare. Italia e Iran: archeologia, turismo, film, arte, artigianato e nuove opportunità di business” (Two Worlds to Explore. Italy and Iran: Archaeology, Tourism, Movies, Arts, Handicrafts and New Business Opportunities), an event curated by CICE (Centro italo-iraniano di cooperazione culturale e economica – the Italian-Iranian Centre of Cultural and Economic Co-Operation) in co-operation with the Iranian Ministry of Handicrafts and the Italian branch of Touring Club, promoting the development of commercial exchanges between the two countries.
The area devoted to food and drinks located inside the Spadolini pavilion is totally renewed and, starting from this year, is entirely devoted to small artisanal businesses and independent producers. Among the events, the project Artigianato del Gusto (Taste Handicrafts), curated by Taste Factory – Solstizio d’Estate – Illuminati dal Gusto (Summer Solstice – Enlightened by Taste). An opportunity to meet, be visible and discuss the development of the excellence system of “Made in Italy” products. In addition to an accurate selection of exhibitors, the event will also be completed by presentations and product tasting, workshops and seminars, involving professionals and hotel & catering schools and higher learning institutes, such as Intrecci Academy – Alta Formazione di Sala, or dedicated to the history, culture and traditions of our territory, such as Alla scoperta del MUVIS – Museo del vino… e del turismo che si gusta (Discovering MUVIS – the Museum of Wine…and of taste tourism).
Local wine and food artisans will offer their products to qualified chefs led by the famous Florentine wine and food expert, sommelier and writer Leonardo Romanelli, with a series of cooking shows named Le Delizie di Leonardo (Leonardo’s Delights).
For all those wishing to challenge their own taste and olfactory skills, MIDA 2019 offers a new Educational Areacurated by IQ – Italiaquintessenza featuring a daily programme of wine, oil and beer tasting, in co-operation with the Associazione Italiana Sommelier Toscana (the Tuscan Branch of the Italian Sommelier Association)and Consorzio per la tutela dell’Olio Extravergine di Oliva Toscano IGP (the Consortium for the Protection of Tuscan Extra-Virgin Olive Oil IGP – Mark of Geographical Protection). Visitors will be able to discover tools and techniques to recognise the scents and flavours of our land. The most enthusiasts might also benefit from specialist seminarsdedicated to wine and beer. The Accademia italiana del tartufo (Italian Truffle Academy) will organise specific activities to study the sensorial and chromatic perception of this 100% Italian product.
Among the usual sections of the Fair, once again the Basilica of the Arsenale will host Bellezza e Benessere (Health & Beauty), which, starting from this edition, will be exclusively restricted to producers of handmade cosmetics, fragrances, essences and body care products, offering a wide range of products made with natural ingredients and strictly organic raw materials.
Manufatti per tutti. Lavorazioni in diretta (Artifacts for Everyone. Live Demonstrations), located inside the Arsenal and Fureria and curated by Mani Creative, is the coloured and immersive section dedicated to live processing and direct sale of products, from kokodama making to macramé braiding techniques. Among the various activities, visitors will have the chance to learn how to craft a micro-mosaic piece of jewellery, watch live natural dyeing procedures and eco-prints on tissues, discover how to make pens out of a lathe, and emotionally watch a papier-mache puppet come to life.
The Ghiaie and Liceo pavilions will also be part of the section Manufatti per tutti (Artefacts for Everyone)curated by the association HeyArt, hosting respectively Ecologia e Recupero (Ecology and Recycling), featuring objects, home décor and accessories made with eco-sustainable and recycled materials; and Sartoria e Accessori (Dress-Making & Accessories), exploring the new trends, styles and materials of Italian handmade fashion.
Visitors of the Fair will exclusively benefit from three options of free guided tours inside and outside the Fortezza da Basso. A unique opportunity to explore the restoration workshops of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, the underground vaults and monumental area of the first Medicean Fortress thanks to the expert guides of MUS.Eand the paper mill workshops of Cartiera degli Artigianelli, located in via dei Serragli 104, in the heart of the Oltrarno area. These opportunities will also be available for the international visitors coming to Firenze and Tuscany, who will be involved thanks to an unprecedented promotional programme, developed in co-operation with Destination Florence & Convention Bureau through the destinationflorence.complatform, promoting and marketing the tourist and cultural offer of Florence, with the generous help of hotel facilities and tour operators participating in this project.