Habitat

Francesco Strabone is a contemporary artist living and working in Lecce. His research explores the relationship between memory, identity and spirituality, with a particular focus on resilience and on what endures over time. Through an investigation of traces, transformations and material processes, his work translates fragile yet persistent forms of life into poetic and meditative visual languages, oscillating between abstraction and corporeality.

Within the Creative Living Lab HABITAT, Strabone was the lead artist, guiding the artistic research and production process. His practice shaped the conceptual framework of the lab, interpreting Pallone di Gravina not as a product but as a living organism. Through photographic exploration of surfaces, textures and mould formations, he transformed microscopic processes of ageing into visual landscapes, connecting artisanal knowledge, territory and collective memory within a shared artistic and cultural narrative.

Bojan Šumonja is a Croatian artist whose practice spans painting, sculpture and interdisciplinary projects, with a strong focus on material processes, craftsmanship and the relationship between art, territory and everyday life. His work often explores transformation, time and the coexistence of natural and cultural systems, bridging contemporary artistic research with traditional knowledge and manual practices.

Within the Creative Living Lab HABITAT, Šumonja took on the role of international artist-tutor, guiding the collaborative process through critical dialogue, mentoring and methodological support. Drawing on his experience in territorially rooted and craft-based projects, he supported the participants in translating local knowledge, artisanal practices and environmental observations into a coherent artistic and cultural framework. His contribution strengthened the cross-border dimension of the lab, fostering exchange between different artistic perspectives and reinforcing the connection between contemporary art, material culture and sustainable cultural tourism.

Caseificio Artigianale Fratelli Derosa was founded in the Alta Murgia area, in Gravina di Puglia (Italy), where since 1960 it has been producing artisanal dairy products using high-quality local milk. Deeply rooted in the territory, the dairy is particularly renowned for the production of Pallone di Gravina, a traditional raw-milk cheese whose spherical form and ageing process reflect the environmental and cultural specificities of the area.

Within the Creative Living Lab HABITAT, the Caseificio Fratelli Derosa played a central role by opening its production spaces and knowledge to the artistic research process. By sharing artisanal practices, ageing environments and production narratives, the dairy enabled a direct engagement with cheese as a living organism shaped by microclimate, time and human expertise. This contribution was essential in grounding the lab’s artistic exploration in authentic material processes, fostering dialogue between craftsmanship, contemporary art and sustainable cultural tourism.

VIBR_AZIONI APS is a cultural association committed to promoting creativity, local heritage and community participation through artistic, craft-based and territorially focused initiatives. Its activities aim to enhance the cultural and touristic value of places, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and social inclusion.

Within the Creative Living Lab HABITAT, VIBR_AZIONI played a key role in facilitating the involvement of local communities and supporting the co-creation process between artists, artisans and territorial actors. In line with its mission on experiential tourism, the association contributed to framing the lab as a shared space of exchange, learning and participation, connecting cultural practices with local identity. Led by its president Rosa Surico, whose background in International Hospitality and Tourism Management 4.0 brought a strategic and innovative perspective, the association supported the development of cultural and tourism-oriented outcomes rooted in community engagement.