SOCRAT community

Fabrizio Bellomo (Bari, 1982) is an artist and filmmaker.

He participated in the 16th and 19th editions of the Italian Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia: first with the project Villaggio Cavatrulli, and later with the installation Abito Mari, commissioned by the Fondazione Filiberto e Bianca Menna in Salerno.

He took part in the 38th, 39th and 41st editions of the Torino Film Festival and, with the film Commedia all’Italiana, won the Special Jury Prize in the italiana.doc section at the 39th edition.

His solo exhibitions in institutional venues include:

Meccanicismo (2018) at the Kulturni Centar Beograda, Belgrade;

‘Nziembru (2024) at Fondazione Elpis, Milan;

Abito Mari (2025) at the Gallery of Contemporary Art Tirana by Mane Foundation.

He has also exhibited at MACRO, Rome; Triennale di Milano; Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome; Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema in Pesaro; Filmmaker Festival in Milan; Festival dei Popoli in Florence; Bellaria Film Festival (where he won First Prize with the film Vernissage); Cinemed in Montpellier; Ekrani i Artit in Shkodër; Fotomuseum Winterthur during Plat(t)form; Tirana International Film Festival; PhEST, Monopoli; Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Tokyo; FAB in Tirana; Fondazione Pino Pascali in Polignano a Mare; Kreuzberg Pavillon in Berlin and at Fundació Enric Miralles in Barcelona.

He has developed projects in collaboration with or commissioned by institutions including MiC; Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli; Fondazione Forma per la Fotografia; Apulia Film Commission; Fondazione Dioguardi; Tirana Art Lab; Art House; Careof; Fondazione Elpis and Galleria Continua.

His works are included also in the collections of the Museo di Fotografia Contemporanea (MuFoCo); the Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione (ICCD); the collection of Museo del Palazzo Malatestiano in Fano; Simmons & Simmons collection and the nctm e l’arte project collection in Milan.

Fabrizio Bellomo has published several books, including the last photo-books Villaggio Cavatrulli, published by Centro Di in Florence and Concrete Albania by Onufri in Tirana.

The Tourist Guides Association “Donat” – Zadar brings together professional tourist guides with the aim of presenting the cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Zadar and its surroundings. Members of the association lead various tours — from short city tours, museum visits, and sacred monuments, to thematic and multi-day tours across Zadar County.

The current president of the association is Luca Bašić, a licensed tourist guide with a degree in art history and geography. Under her leadership, the association continuously improves the tourist offer and cooperates with local institutions, museums, and the University of Zadar in order to provide visitors with professional and engaging guidance.

The “Donat” Association plays a key role in connecting local history and culture with visitors, promoting Zadar and Zadar County as a destination rich in cultural identity and unforgettable experiences.

Senka Lončar is a Zadar-based artist and creative personality who decided to remain active through painting and social media after retirement. Since retiring, she has dedicated herself to painting and has created nearly 200 paintings, which, as she says, beautify her life and everyday routine.

Senka has significantly expanded her artistic presence through Instagram, where she has more than 7,000 followers from around the world interested in her works and stories. She recently held her first solo exhibition in Zadar, which attracted great interest from fellow citizens and art lovers.

In her work, she most often depicts everyday life and the local atmosphere — especially motifs of Zadar and surrounding places, enriched with flowers, seagulls, and other inspirations from nature and the Mediterranean environment. Senka often gifts her paintings to others, showing how art connects people and spreads joy.

Fosca is a design brand specialized in original patterns and illustrations intended for the graphic, textile, and fashion industries. From the very beginning, the focus has been on creating sustainable, thoughtful, and visually strong designs that bring freshness and long-term value.

The owner and author of the brand is Klara Ivanović, an artist whose work is based on continuous exploration of drawing, painting, and pattern design. Her canvas paintings and posters are created through experimentation with various techniques, materials, and textures, resulting in distinctive, layered, and visually rich designs ready for application in product design.

I am a researcher and project designer in the field of Arts and Cultural Management. I am part of the aiku – Arte Impresa Cultura research center at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where I focus on the intersection of management, humanities, and the arts. My work investigates local development and new ways of observing urban contexts and tourist destinations. My approach combines research and practice, focusing on territorial development and social innovation. I specifically explore the role of art-based research and artistic languages as strategic tools for innovation within local ecosystems and collaborative spaces. In addition to my research, I am actively involved in grant writing and the management of national and European projects.

Šinjorina smokva® is a small but recognizable Dalmatian entrepreneurial brand that has been engaged in organic cultivation of figs, olives, and quinces since 2003, as well as the production of premium organic jams. Located in the hinterland of Nin, in the village of Poljica within the Municipality of Vrsi, the brand nurtures a blend of tradition, nature, and modern technology.

Production is fully organic, seasonal, and exclusive, based on traditional recipes that use only one ingredient — organic fruit. The range includes fig, Marasca sour cherry, mandarin, plum, and quince jams, recognized for their purity of taste, quality, and carefully designed packaging.

The brand is a multiple winner of the “Jam Champion” award at the Intrade fair in Split, which recognizes the best producers of Mediterranean food. In addition to jams, Šinjorina smokva produces dried organic fruit, such as dried figs, as well as the fig cake “Šinjorina za van” — a healthy fruit snack made exclusively from natural ingredients.

Šinjorina smokva represents an authentic artisan jam concept, where quality, sustainability, and respect for nature are at the heart of every product.

In the Municipality of Ražanac, the Women’s Association Medarice was recently founded — the first association of its kind in the municipality. It was established with the aim of connecting women throughout the municipality and improving the quality of life in the local community. The association’s president is Marjana Miočić, and the name Medarice symbolically refers to the bee from the Municipality of Ražanac’s coat of arms, representing diligence and unity.

The association’s activities include promoting cultural and artistic amateurism, organizing workshops, lectures, seminars, and humanitarian actions, assisting those in need, and implementing environmental initiatives such as beach clean-up campaigns. Medarice also plans educational programs in entrepreneurship, as well as the creation of souvenirs and gifts inspired by local landmarks, including food and cosmetic souvenirs.

The association actively cooperates with the Ražanac Tourist Board and participates in local events such as Đirada po Krasu and Vrtolom, contributing to the social, cultural, and tourism development of Ražanac.

Dubravka Visković is a Croatian artist and entrepreneur from Zadar and the owner of the craft business Pharos, which has been successfully operating for nearly 30 years. Founded in 1997, the business specializes in graphic services, printing, photocopying, stamp production, and printing of promotional and visual materials that support creative and business projects within the local community.

Through her work, Dubravka has particularly distinguished herself in the design and production of souvenirs and promotional products — from souvenir T-shirts, bags, and magnets to other unique items reflecting the identity and creative spirit of the Zadar region. Her souvenirs have been recognized and exhibited at fairs, and for some of her ideas and products she received top awards from the Zadar County Innovators Association in 2012, when the association was active.

As an artist and designer, Dubravka offers her clients an individual approach in creating visual solutions for promotion, branding, and personal use, including textile printing, personalized gifts, and marketing materials. Her long-standing presence on the market demonstrates dedication to quality and creativity in every project she signs.

Raffaele Fiorella (Barletta, 1979) works across installation, video, and sculpture, exploring the expressive potential of digital art. Poised between poetry and everyday life, his research investigates the boundary between reality and fiction,constructing landscapes of memory and illusion as spaces of escape and refuge, imagined or simulated. He has exhibited in Italy and abroad, including Italian Reflections (Italian Cultural Institute, Cairo, 2017) and Opera Viva Barriera di Milano (Turin), by invitation of Christian Caliandro. Among the main milestones of his career are Unodiuno (Naples, 2016), Syntesis (Fondazione Museo Pino Pascali, 2015), the BoCS Art residency (Cosenza, 2015), the solo exhibition Menzogna (Bari, 2015), Fuoriluogo (2014), and Duel (Fondazione Museo Pino Pascali, 2014). More recently, he has participated in Zoo Generation (2020), La comunità del Compost, and Play Dead – Chapter 2 (2024). In July 2025, he will be in residence at the Caloma Festival at Fondazione Le Costantine. Alongside his artistic practice, he has organized several residencies and curated participatory projects with Erasmus students and young artists, promoting collaborative processes and intercultural exchange. He is currently a lecturer in Digital Applications for Visual Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bari. 

Goran Blažević from Zadar is a distinguished artist and educator known for his work with clay and ceramics. For many years, he has led creative workshops for adults and beginners, where participants learn techniques of shaping, building, decorating, and glazing ceramics. His works, as well as those created by his students, are frequently exhibited at local exhibitions, including the Zadar City Museum.

In addition to ceramics, Goran cultivates other creative disciplines, ranging from photography and video to traditional Japanese archery (Kyudo), which he teaches to children, young people, and persons with disabilities. His versatile approach to working with materials and people makes him a recognized member of the Zadar artistic community.

Goran is also active in the international Kyudo community, collaborating with masters across Europe. His work is distinguished by the integration of traditional techniques with contemporary artistic expression and the use of natural materials.

The “Re-kreativci” Association from Zadar was founded in 2019 with the aim of encouraging creativity, artistic expression, and social inclusion through workshops, courses, and art colonies. The association is based in Zadar, and its founders are Blaženka Juren Marušić, the association’s president, and Mirko Marušić, a visual artist and active collaborator.

The association organizes various creative activities for all age groups, including painting colonies, Paint & Wine workshops, and work with recycled materials, aiming to stimulate imagination and artistic expression.

One of its recognizable activities is the Art Colony on Dugi Otok, organized in cooperation with local partners, where participants — both amateurs and professionals — create and exhibit their works in an inspiring natural environment.

Their work enriches the cultural offer of Zadar and its surroundings and contributes to connecting the local community through art.

Zadar archaeologist and art historian Zrinka Brkan Klarin opened a small but truly unique sales gallery in the old Brkan family house in Varoška Street. The gallery provides an authentic reflection of the local craft and art scene. Gallery Liliput brings together works by numerous Zadar-based authors, including Zvonimira Karavida, Aleksandar Bonačić, and many others, offering a rich selection of local handicrafts and souvenirs.

Gallery Liliput is one of the most distinctive galleries and art & craft shops in Zadar. Its concept is based on a carefully curated collection of locally made design and applied-art products, such as silver and brass jewelry, handmade bags, dolls, illustrations, photographs, and related works. Liliput is a meeting point of creativity and tradition — a space that supports local authors and where visitors can find unique items that carry the creative spirit of Zadar.

Kulturban, an association for culture, promotes cultural events and activities that foster the expansion of theatrical culture, experimental music, and the performing arts, while encouraging dialogue with other forms of expression. The association was founded in 2008 by Alen Sinkauz and Nenad Sinkauz—multi-award-winning composers, musicians, and performers. Based in Pula, Kulturban emerged from its founders' desire to engage more deeply with the place they call home through the medium of culture. One of the association's core objectives is to create opportunities for encounters—spaces where new collaborations can flourish and where different realities can intersect. Operating at local, national, and international levels, the association consistently focuses on developing projects rooted in specific locations and the people who inhabit them. Since 2010, Kulturban has organized *Audioart*, an international festival of experimental and improvised music in Pula. Through this platform, the association facilitates networking among Croatian and international artists, hosts artistic residencies for professional musicians, provides educational programs for all ages—regardless of prior experience—and stages concerts. Complementing the festival is the *Audioart+* program, which offers a series of workshops designed for children, youth, and adults.

Association Metamedij is a non-profit organization that initiates and encourages artistic and cultural initiatives in the field of new media art and new technologies. It is interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary engaged in production and promotion in the sphere of contemporary and innovative artistic practices, with a focus on young people, while questioning the relationship between art and society and contributing to shaping a more humane world. Its main program areas are providing support, training, production conditions and promotion to young authors within the artistic incubator; education of children and young people regarding contemporary art, as well as media and digital literacy along with creative creativity; monitoring of cultural and artistic programs and issues through Kulturistra - the portal for the culture of Region of Istria; and the promotion of contemporary artistic practices, new media and technologies at the Media Mediterranea festival. With the Mi+ open platform for the development of contemporary and innovative art in Istria, the association works in parallel to strengthen cooperation and empower cultural organizations, advocate for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of cultural policy in the area of ​​the development of the non-institutional scene, and conducts activities for the development of residential programs, program cooperation and education for the general public, especially children and young people. Metamedij organises programs and exhibitions in Gallery Novo in Pula where SOCRAT project equipped permanent Laboratory for Contemporary Artistic Practices.

Musician, painter and director, he conducts research focused on the relationship between image and sound. Since the early 1970s he has directed his interest toward the intersection of various arts: cinema, music, video, painting. Later he would use theatre as a place of synthesis. In an initial phase, marked by the exploration of the cinematographic medium (1968–1975), he created several experimental films with which he took part in international events including: Film Studio, Rome; Knokke Heist, Belgium; La Rochelle and Beaubourg, France. After graduating in electronic music in Venice in 1978, alongside his research with the computer he began his first experiences with videotape, which soon became the primary instrument of his works. His stage creations find space both in theatre and in music, seeking, through the encounter between different fields, new possibilities of stage composition, through a personal form of “total theatre”. Internationally, his works with TAM have been presented in Bourges, Le Printemps; Granada, “International Theatre Festival”; Vienna, “Wiener Fest Wochen”; Hannover, “Klang & Körper”; Paris, “Festival d’Automne”; Zagreb, “Festival Eurocatz”; Jerusalem, “Italian Theatre Festival”, and also in Tunis, Copenhagen, Budapest, Krakow, Warsaw... Among the productions in the field of musical theatre, he staged Repertoire by Mauricio Kagel (1981), Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy for Teatro alla Scala (1986), Ages by Bruno Maderna for RAI Milano (1989). In 1994 he curated the artistic project Meditazioni, whose protagonists were the detainees of the Padua prison. His artistic work has been the subject of numerous university theses written, among others, at La Sapienza University of Rome, the Universities of Ferrara, Venice and Padua. 

Alen Sinkauz and Nenad Sinkauz are composers, musicians, and performers. They both graduated in Musicology and Ethnomusicology in Padua. The Sinakuz brothers compose and shape music for feature-length and short films, musical, dance and theater shows, radio broadcasts, as well as site-specific, and multidisciplinary performances. They collaborate with prominent film and theater directors and visual and video artists in the country and abroad. They won five Golden Arena awards and prizes for original film music at the Croatian Film Days. Their artistic work, especially when playing live, is mostly oriented towards exploring unconventional musical forms, improvised and creative music, but their musical roots comes from the 90’ underground metal and punk scene. Through performance and composition, which are strictly connected in their work,  they are interested in a dialogue of acoustic and electronic instruments, hybridity of the connection of musical and theatrical principles in performance as the research landmark for new performing formats. In 2021 they started Kopaton records, label for experimental and creative music as a platform connecting musicians from Croatia and south east Europe. Currently they are involved in the experimental trio Roj Osa.In 2010 they started the International Festival of Experimental and Improvised Music Audioart in Pula (Croatia).Founders of the avant rock band East Rodeo with whom they released three albums and the audiovisual projects Day of the Year, Sicomat and Propulzor. They are co-founders of an impro big band CRI Orchestra which gathers around twenty musicians from Croatia. Founders of the artistic organization P137.

Filippo Laterza, born in southern Italy in a family of tailors, develops from an early age a passion for textile processing. After finishing her art studies, he won the first competitions with his works and began a career in fashion. At only 16 years old, he presents his first fashion show and at 18 wins a competition that takes him to Pitti Immagine, marking the beginning of his career in children's clothing with Stefano Cavalleri. He collaborates with numerous luxury brands, such as Quis Quis, Lanvin, Iceberg and Cesare Paciotti, and at the age of 20 presents his personal collection at "AltaRoma", attracting international press attention which calls him the "Enfant Prodige" of Italian fashion. His fame grew further with a collaboration with Rovio for the "Filippo Laterza for Angry Birds" collection and an award as Best International Designer in Shenzhen at just 24 years old. Actresses, singers and influencers from all over the world choose to wear his creations, leading to iconic collaborations such as the capsule collection with Barbie. At the age of 26, he received numerous international awards such as "Best International Designer" and took his collections to major walkways. In 2023, she presents her first children's collection in Foshan, where he receives the "Young Designer" award. In 2024, he is the protagonist of Milan Fashion Week and launches a collaboration with brand Ozlana, then returns to China with an exhibition celebrating the fusion between Italian aesthetics and Chinese market taste thanks to her collaboration with G-color group.

The Ethnographic Museum of Istria – Museo Etnografico dell’Istria in Pazin situated in Pazin Castle, a medieval fortress overlooking Pazin Cave, is a regional institution whose activities include collecting, preserving, documenting, interpreting and presenting the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Istrian peninsula. The museum preserves ethnographic materials with holdings comprising 8,000 objects: textiles, agricultural tools, and everyday life objects in the Istrian village from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (pottery, carpentry, blacksmith products, as well as examples of traditional handcrafts). There is also a large collection of souvenirs, traditional musical instruments, postcards and greeting cards. The ground floor of the Castle houses a carpentry and blacksmith workshop, and the second floor features a new permanent exhibition, which, according to Ivona Orlić, director of the Ethnographic Museum of Istria – Museo Etnografico dell’Istria, dynamically presents Istria from tradition to modernity through several typical characters. They are a winemaker from Momjan, a fisherman from Fažana, a child from Motovun, a woman from Ćićarija, a miner, a woman from Vodnjan, an Istrian emigrant and a tourist worker. This part of the partially interactive exhibition ends with the topic of tourism and a critical view of this economic activity. In fact, the area of research of curator ethnologists is everyday life, i.e., clothing, economy, children’s games, music, food, beliefs, housing, as well as folklore, multicultural intertwining and contemporary cultural phenomena. The Museum has a Department for Museum Pedagogy and the Centre for the Intangible Culture of Istria (CENKI) – Centro per la Cultura Immateriale dell’Istria (CECII) headquartered in Pićan, which houses intangible culture – singing, playing, languages and local dialects, as well as all other skills like making traditional sweets, cooking, wine production, making various instruments, stone carving, etc.

Staša Randall was born in Pula, Croatia, where she nurtured a passion for design from a very young age. Growing up in a family deeply rooted in the arts, it was only natural for Staša to find her path in the world of fashion and design. At just four years old, Staša began sewing under the guidance of her mother, a costume designer for ballet and theater. This early introduction to the world of fabrics, patterns, and design principles laid the foundation for her future career. Staša Randall has gained significant experience in the fashion industry, working with renowned designers and brands. Her professional journey includes: Gan Gan London – Assistant Womenswear Designer, 2015. Mehle London – Assistant Womenswear Designer, 2016. Roland Mouret – Assistant Womenswear Designer, 2017. Amicor Green Resort by Valamar, Hvar – In 2022, Staša was commissioned to design staff uniforms for the hotel—a project she completed under her own brand, STAŠA DESIGN. These roles allowed Staša to refine her design skills and gain an understanding of the complex dynamics of the global fashion industry. Recognition and Achievements Staša’s talent has been acknowledged through various awards and exhibitions: First Exhibition (2011) – Held at the "Vladimir Horvat" Gallery in Zagreb, focusing on the theme "Five Elements." Dreft Fashion Week, Zagreb (2014) – She secured a top-three placement, establishing her as one of the region's emerging young talents. "Triangle" Collection (2015) – Recognized as one of the top 30 young Balkan designers—a significant achievement within the regional fashion scene. "4sqm of Pure" Collection (2017) – Selected for London Fashion Week (February 2017), further solidifying her international presence. The “Equality” collection – presented at a pop-up shop during London Fashion Week by the fashion platform N7FUK in September 2018 and February 2019. The 60th Castrum Vallis exhibition (2024) – Staša’s textile artworks were exhibited in Bale, Croatia, showcasing her versatility as a textile artist. 

The mission of the Croatian Association of Interdisciplinary Artists (HUIU) - the only professional association of its kind in Croatia - is to represent the interests of and facilitate networking among artists whose work and creative output transcend traditional conventions. Furthermore, it aims to promote the significance of a critical and innovative interdisciplinary approach to contemporary artistic production. Within the socio-cultural framework of developing new media and interdisciplinary practices - which lies at the core of HUIU’s activities - the audience is approached as a heterogeneous, active subject. Through its exhibition activities and programs, HUIU seeks to introduce the concept of interdisciplinary arts to a broader public, encouraging an engaged reflection on - and redefinition of - artistic media and their expressive potential within a contemporary context. It also fosters a critical and analytical approach to the selection and integration of multimedia elements, tailored to specific concepts and contexts. Through workshops and programs developed in collaboration with educational institutions, HUIU promotes an interdisciplinary approach within the arts sector; this involves educating participants on how to integrate and expand existing skills in practical, innovative ways. Simultaneously, the association actively works to foster networking and collaboration among institutions, organizations, and professionals active in the cultural sphere. A concerted effort is made to bridge the gap between formal education in traditionally defined artistic disciplines and the latest technological and theoretical innovations - as well as the corresponding demands of the market - thereby better preparing individuals for the labor market and helping them navigate contemporary trends. At the same time, the implementation of these programs serves as a platform for exploring the development of new educational methodologies.

Rino Banko works in the field of visual arts, sculpture, and design objects, utilizing traditional materials such as stone, wood, ceramics, and metal. His primary focus lies in the materials themselves—exploring their inherent limits and the interplay between matter and form. He is an active member of the Quark Ceramics Center at the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka (APURI), where he conducts research into digital modeling and 3D printing in ceramics.
Alongside his academic work, he runs his own art studio, engaging in a diverse range of projects within the arts and their application in both exterior and interior spaces. In addition to his exhibition work, he has completed several sculptural projects that are permanently installed in public spaces. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Rector’s Award from the University of Rijeka (UNIRI).
He earned his Master’s degree in Sculpture from the Academy of Applied Arts in Rijeka in 2018, where he currently serves as an assistant in the Department of Sculpture, teaching within the undergraduate and graduate programs in Applied Arts and Art Education. Over the years, he has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo exhibitions both in Croatia and abroad—including in Zagreb, Rijeka, Kostrena, Opatija, Lovran, Labin, Pula, Umag, Piran, and Koper (Slovenia), as well as Düsseldorf (Germany). Notable exhibitions include the International Ceramics Exhibition in Piran (*Keramos: Here and Now – A Look at Contemporary Ceramics*) and the International Exhibition of Drawings and Sculptures in Koper (*May Salon*). At the Maritime and History Museum of the Croatian Littoral in Rijeka, he participated in an exhibition organized in collaboration with ICOM Croatia (International Committee of Museums, UNESCO) as part of the *Participatory Museums in the Community* project. Other significant exhibitions include *Twins* (featuring ceramics from Rijeka and Faenza), the 13th and 14th Triennial of Croatian Sculpture, his solo exhibition of sculptures and drawings titled *Portals* at the Cvajner Gallery in Pula, and the solo exhibition *Inhabited Sculpture* at the Student Dormitory Gallery in Pula. He has worked on set design for several film productions, most notably Ridley Scott’s *Gladiator II* and Netflix’s *Valhalla*.

The Art Studio Association was founded in February 2008, driven by its members' desire to foster free, creative, and cultural expression among children, youth, the employed and unemployed, retirees, children with developmental difficulties, and individuals with special needs. The Association carries out activities aimed at improving the quality of life, with a particular focus on the elderly, whose social lives we strive to enrich. Our activities are centered on the socialization of retirees through shared interaction, using ceramics as a specific art form. This helps older individuals overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness, as well as the sense that they are no longer socially useful. Through ceramics workshops, they are integrated into the community; this not only supports their psychological stability but also indirectly contributes to their physical well-being by strengthening their motor skills. Art Studio Gallery is Association's gallery space showcasting the rich artistic expression of the Association’s members, with a primary focus on ceramics. The gallery’s exhibitions also feature work by participants from long-term projects conducted by the Association: residents of the Alfredo Štiglić Home for the Elderly and Infirm in Pula, as well as individuals with intellectual disabilities from the Centre for Inclusion and Community Support—all of whom created their pieces during ceramics workshops.

The Public Open University of City of Labin is a public cultural, educational, and informational institution founded by the City of Labin. The institution offers educational programs and cultural content for all generations, fostering lifelong learning and community development. It organizes and carries out activities in the fields of adult education, cinema, performing arts, and museum and gallery operations. A specific branch of the institution is the Labin National Museum, located in the historic old town within the Baroque Battiala-Lazzarini Palace. Its museum and gallery activities also encompass two off-site collections: the Matija Vlačić Ilirik Memorial Collection (at G. Martinuzzi Street 8) and the Collection of Sacral Art (housed in the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary / St. Mary the Comforter). Additionally, the Labin City Gallery - an important venue for showcasing contemporary art - is situated in the former Luciani Palace. Each of the Labin Public Open University’s activities contributes to the social, cultural, historical, and artistic life of the city of Labin and its surrounding area.

Raffaele Fiorella’s artistic work spans installation, sculpture, video, and new media, exploring memory, landscape, and perception at the intersection of traditional knowledge and digital experimentation. With over ten years of experience in artistic, educational, and community-based contexts, he has organized residencies and collaborative projects with Erasmus students, artists, and local stakeholders. His practice emphasizes participatory methods, connecting material heritage with contemporary processes and fostering dialogue between diverse participants. In the Creative Living Labs, he aims to contribute by facilitating collaborative artistic research, integrating local craft traditions, promoting intercultural exchange, and developing site-responsive projects that reactivate collective memory and community engagement. His role would combine creative production, coordination of participatory processes, and translating complex artistic concepts into accessible, inclusive experiences.

Implemented by the Kvarner Region Tourist Board, the Creative Living Lab took place throughout April 2026 and brought together cultural institutions, artists, associations, sustainability experts, and local stakeholders with the shared goal of co-creating an innovative and sustainable tourism experience rooted in the identity of Opatija.

Developed under the title “The Camellia’s Path – inspiration, slowing down, creation”, the experience combines an interpretative walk through Angiolina Park, mindfulness practice, artistic expression, and tasting of local camellia products into a unique slow-tourism concept focused on wellbeing, creativity, and authentic connection with place.

The Lab was carried out in collaboration with the Croatian Museum of Tourism, artist Kristina Kinkela Valčić, the Urbani Separe Association, Italian mentor Raffaele Fiorella, and the Sustainability Office, which provided professional support in the facilitation process.

Throughout the ten-day Creative Living Lab process, participants explored Opatija’s cultural and natural heritage, experimented with artistic techniques, developed interpretative approaches, and designed the structure of the experience together with local stakeholders. Particular emphasis was placed on sustainability, community involvement, and the creation of meaningful, experience-based tourism content. The newly developed tourism experience was publicly presented and tested on 27 April 2026 in Opatija. The pilot gathered members of the local community, media representatives, and project stakeholders, who participated in the full programme and provided positive feedback on the concept and implementation.

The experience began with a guided educational walk through Angiolina Park, followed by an outdoor mindfulness session designed to encourage slowing down and conscious engagement with nature. Participants then joined a creative collage workshop at the Croatian Museum of Tourism, where they transformed their impressions into personal artistic souvenirs inspired by camellias and the atmosphere of Opatija. The programme concluded with a tasting of locally produced camellia products, connecting gastronomy with storytelling and local heritage.

As highlighted during the press conference held within the pilot event, the SOCRAT project promotes innovative tourism development through cooperation between cultural institutions, artists, associations, and local communities, with a strong focus on sustainability and participatory approaches.

The “Camellia’s Path” experience represents an example of how collaboration between different sectors can result in authentic tourism products that encourage visitors to experience destinations in a slower, more personal, and meaningful way.

At the same time, this newly developed experience can serve as an excellent example of good practice, with strong potential for replication and adaptation in other parts of Kvarner and beyond. It actively fosters collaboration between artists, associations, and cultural professionals, further strengthening the local creative ecosystem and contributing to sustainable destination development.

Tanja Blašković is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural entrepreneur, currently the Head of Development and an active member of  Urbani Separe. Her work merges contemporary art, design, culture, and socially engaged practices with the goal of creating new models of collaboration and sustainable development through art. In her practice, she explores the intersections of art, ecology, and community, believing that creative collaboration is the foundation for regenerative development and cultural sustainability.

Urbani separe was founded in 2014 in Rijeka with the aim of strengthening communities and their public and natural spaces through a juicy blend of participation and culture. Via tactical urbanism and urban pedagogy they question problematic areas of their city and region. Through long-term, layered and participatory methodologies, they bring culture and green practices to places and communities where they are truly lacking. 

Nataša Ivančević is the director of the Croatian Museum of Tourism. She graduated in Art History and Comparative Literature from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, where she also obtained her Ph.D. She worked as a museum advisor and head of the Collections Department and the Sculpture Collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MSU) in Zagreb. She has participated in numerous significant exhibition projects and has also worked at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka.

The Croatian Museum of Tourism, located in a one hundred and seventy year old villa in the center of Opatija’s Angiolina Park, tells the story of tourism in Croatia and how tourism affects us all today – how our cities change, how we change while traveling and welcoming travelers.

Kristina Kinkela Valčić is a visual artist who specializes in abstract art.

Her exclusively abstract work allows her to constantly explore new painting techniques, inviting the viewer to see and feel her art in diverse ways. In her expressive-emotional manner, she is transmitting abstract mental maps onto the canvas. That manifests in multiple layers of acrylic and mixed media. All those layers intertwine, complement, flirt and negate each other and form harmonious imaginary landscapes.

Kristina Kinkela Valčić received her MA in Art Education and Art History at the Academy of Applied Arts, University of Rijeka and she is also a Ph.D. student in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnology at the University of Zagreb.

She exhibited both nationally and internationally and she is a member of the Croatian Association of Artists, Salvador Club and the online art project Art Ćakula.  She works in her studio in Opatija and teaches Visual Arts at Adria international school, also in Opatija, Croatia.

Nika Disney is a choreographer and dancer from Pula, Croatia, who graduated from the Academy of Theatre and Dance in Amsterdam as a performer, choreographer, and educator. Her recent works have been presented at the 42nd Dance Week Festival, the 18th Monoplay Festival, with Studio Contemporary Dance company, and at the Zagreb Dance Center, exploring questions such as "Are we ever truly alone?" and "How will technology shape our hearts?" Together with musician Carlos Andres Fagin, she organizes monthly performative improvisational jams (Jukebox), open for the public to watch and participate in. Nika is especially interested in developing programs that foster dialogue between art and community, spaces where art is lived, shared, and transformed into a collective experience. An example is the project Being A-Part, created with Liberta Mišan and Flynn Disney alongside students from the Pula Gymnasium. Her creative process is grounded in trust, vulnerability, recognition, and openness.

Giovanni Sambo (Venice, 1995) works with photography and video. He holds a degree in Design from the Politecnico di Torino and studied documentary cinema in Milan. In 2023, together with his brother Daniele, he won the First Prize for Young Artists awarded by the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa; the following year he was granted a studio at Palazzo Carminati. In 2024 he received the Terna Driving Energy Photography Award and exhibited at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. In 2025 he presented Anarchivio, his first solo exhibition, at Deposito 2235.Alongside his artistic practice, he collaborates with institutions such as the Fondazione Querini Stampalia and other local organizations, producing video content. He lives and works in Venice.

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Giovanni Sambo (Venezia, 1995) lavora con fotografia e video. Laureato in Design al Politecnico di Torino, ha studiato cinema documentario a Milano.

Nel 2023, insieme al fratello Daniele, vince il Primo Premio Giovani Artisti della Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa; l’anno seguente ottiene un atelier presso la sede di Palazzo Carminati. Nel 2024 riceve il Premio Terna Driving Energy per la fotografia ed espone al Palazzo delle Esposizioni di Roma. Nel 2025 presenta Anarchivio, la sua prima mostra personale, presso lo spazio Deposito 2235. Parallelamente alla pratica artistica, collabora con istituzioni come la Fondazione Querini Stampalia e altre realtà cittadine per la realizzazione di contenuti video. Vive e lavora a Venezia.

Laura B Naturalmente was born from passion, courageous choices, and the desire to build a business while staying close to her roots. After graduating from hospitality school, Laura worked in the restaurant world. When she became a mother, she didn’t want to give up being present and active in her children’s lives, nor abandon her dream. She chose to create her home-based workshop in her living space in Adria, in the heart of the Veneto Po Delta. This choice is more than convenience: it’s her identity. Her work is local and sustainable, focused on zero-kilometre ingredients and small local producers who supply her raw materials. Laura’s mission is simple yet ambitious: to bring truth, authentic flavours, and genuine memories to the table through products that speak of the Po Delta, artisanal know-how, and respect for ingredients, echoing the traditional methods she learned in her grandmother’s kitchen.

Laura B Naturalmente è una realtà che nasce da una passione, da scelte coraggiose, dal desiderio di fare impresa restando vicina alle proprie radici. Dopo il diploma presso la scuola alberghiera, ha lavorato nel mondo della ristorazione; diventando mamma, non ha voluto rinunciare a crescere in maniera attiva e presente i suoi figli né al suo sogno. Così ha scelto di creare il suo laboratorio domestico nel proprio spazio abitativo, ad Adria, nel cuore del Delta del Po Veneto. Questa decisione non è solo una comodità: è un’identità. Il suo è un lavoro sostenibile e di prossimità con l’obiettivo di spingere il km zero e le produzioni locali che le forniscono le materie prime. La missione di Laura è semplice ma ambiziosa: portare in tavola verità, sapori autentici e ricordi genuini, con prodotti che parlano della terra del Delta del Po, del saper fare artigiano, del rispetto per le materie prime, ricordando le lavorazioni di una volta, le stesse che vedeva nella cucina della nonna.

Confartigianato is the main Italian confederation representing small and micro craft enterprises. It operates through a nationwide network of regional and provincial associations that provide representation, services, training and advocacy for artisans and small businesses. Confartigianato Rovigo accompanied the CLL by positioning the artisanal preserve workshop within the wider heritage of Polesine’s food traditions and small-scale production landscape. This mediation supported the lab’s aim to reinterpret food-making as cultural heritage and to explore its potential translation into immersive visits and creative gastronomy-based experiences. Confartigianato further provided practical support in relations with municipal and cultural institutions, facilitating local visibility and participation in the lab’s activities.

TOP Teatri Off Padova is a social enterprise cooperative. Firmly embracing a vision of culture as a “driver of development” and as a tool for social promotion and improved quality of life, TOP designs and promotes innovative projects for the local community. It presents performances and festivals, training programs for children, youth and adults, as well as for companies and specific target groups, and tailor-made projects for schools. Since its foundation, TOP has provided services to businesses through training courses, performances and corporate heritage storytelling practices.
With the Museum Alive project, now a distinctive brand of the cooperative, TOP enhances historical, artistic and cultural heritage through original performances created with digital tools and through workshops for young people and adults aimed at audience development. The cooperative is based at Teatro S. Clemente, a former church regenerated through synergy with stakeholders in the Padua Industrial Area.

Paolo has always had a dream: to preserve his family’s recipes while creating something truly his own. It all began with Giuseppe, known as “Bepi,” who mastered the craft and passed it down to his son Paolo, who loved helping in the workshop after school. This passion became an entrepreneurial idea, and in 1988 Paolo founded Bertelli Salumi.
Customers immediately recognized the authentic flavours of the past in the family’s products. The company, initially run by Paolo and his parents, soon expanded: his wife Cinzia joined, followed by his siblings Giancarlo and Daniela. In 2017, Paolo’s second daughter Giulia also entered the business, proudly continuing the family path.
From a small passion-driven venture, Bertelli Salumi has grown into a close-knit team of nine, developing new recipes while honouring the traditions at the heart of their craft.

Since October 2021, just outside the ancient walls of Montagnana (PD), Idee Concrete has been a workshop and store where clay takes shape through the skilled hands and passion of Marzia Gaglian, founder of the studio. Her training began in high school with studies in Art and Ceramic Restoration, continued with a degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Verona, and was further refined through a specialised scholarship in the ceramic district of Nove (VI).

In her creative workshop, Marzia works alongside her sister Giorgia, whose collaboration enriches every project. Together, they transform Veneto’s ceramic tradition into a contemporary language influenced by modern art and graphic illustration. Every creation, from home décor pieces to fully personalised wedding favours, is the result of dialogue with the client and is crafted entirely by hand.

Choosing Idee Concrete means embracing the uniqueness of a piece made with care, passion, and tailored creativity.

Confartigianato is the main Italian confederation representing small and micro craft enterprises. It operates through a nationwide network of regional and provincial associations that provide representation, services, training and advocacy for artisans and small businesses.
Confartigianato Imprese Padova supported the CLL by facilitating connections with the local artisanal ecosystem and contextualising the participating enterprises within the broader productive and cultural fabric of the walled city. By providing insight into local business histories, territorial identity and visitor dynamics, Confartigianato also assisted operationally in liaising with local authorities and stakeholders, supporting institutional coordination and outreach for public engagement activities.

My company continues a family tradition begun by my grandfather Aurelio, who around World War II produced and sold glass-bead necklaces near Venice’s railway station. In 1950 my uncle Antonio opened a workshop where he created floral and millefiori necklaces and original glass-bead jewelry that reached the world of high fashion.
Fascinated by this craft, in 1987 I founded Ditta Gioia, later moved (2007) to our family’s historic premises in Calle Priuli. For over thirty years I have created jewelry combining tradition and innovation. Over the years, I have organized public events with demonstrations, talks and storytelling to promote the heritage of the impiraresse and, together with the Committee for the Protection of the Venetian Bead, contributed to achieving UNESCO recognition. In 2022 I transformed my workshop into a small museum dedicated to the history of seed beads and the impiraresse.

Barbara Prenka (1990, Gjakova, Kosovo) lives and works between Bolzano, Berlin and Brescia. She obtained both her BA and MA in Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice under the supervision of Carlo Di Raco. Her practice unfolds through installations and textile-based works that activate matter as a relational space, exploring manual gesture as a temporal and collective practice.

Among her recent solo exhibitions are What Lies Behind the Boundaries of a Shadow? (Lottozero), What time is it between my fingers? (A plus A Gallery, Venice), and Covers (Arthouse, Shkodër). She has exhibited in international institutions and galleries including Kunstquartier Bethanien (Berlin), Secci Gallery (Pietrasanta), Clima (Milan), and the National Gallery of Kosovo, and has participated in art fairs such as SWAB Barcelona and Artissima Torino.

She has taken part in residencies at Lottozero, Palazzo Monti and Bocsart, and is a recipient of the Premio Fabbri and the Combat Prize.

Confartigianato is the main Italian confederation representing small and micro craft enterprises. It operates through a nationwide network of regional and provincial associations that provide representation, services, training and advocacy for artisans and small businesses.

Confartigianato Imprese Venezia contributed to the CLL by situating the impiraressa’s atelier within the historical continuum of Venetian bead craftsmanship and contemporary micro-enterprise practice. Drawing on its familiarity with lagoon craft professions and heritage economies, the association provided cultural framing on the evolution and of traditional beadwork. This perspective reinforced the lab’s focus on the transmission and renewal of artisanal knowledge; in addition, the association acted as an operational interface with local institutions and networks, helping coordinate stakeholder involvement and audience participation around the residency and its public outcomes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hassan Abdelghani (born 1965, Osijek) is an artistic photographer and cultural professional based in Pula, Croatia. Raised in Cairo and graduated from the Photography School in Copenhagen (1990), he founded the private photo school Global Fotoskole in 1998. He is the director of the Makina Photographic Gallery in Pula (since 2009) and head of the Makina Photo Academy (since 2015), hosting over 200 exhibitions and cultural events.

Abdelghani has curated more than 30 exhibitions and has presented solo and group shows across Europe and internationally. He has served as artistic director of the “Vrata starog grada” Photo Gallery in Osijek and is a guest lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Osijek. His works are included in public and private collections, including the Museum of Arts and Crafts in Zagreb. He is a member of HDFD and HDLU, and an honorary member of the European Film Academy. He lives and works in Pula.

The area covered by GAL Nuovo Fior d’Olivi includes seven municipalities in the Province of Bari (Puglia, Italy): Binetto, Bitonto, Giovinazzo, Grumo Appula, Modugno, Palo del Colle, and Terlizzi. The GAL territory extends over 498.77 km², representing 4.18% of the regional surface, and is entirely within the Province of Bari. According to the Puglia Rural Development Programme (PSR) classification, 81.12% of the area (404.58 km²) falls within Macro Area C (“Intermediate rural areas”), while 18.88% (94.19 km²) is classified as Macro Area B (“Rural areas with specialised intensive agriculture”).

As a local development agency with strong territorial knowledge and long-standing relationships with local stakeholders, GAL Nuovo Fior d’Olivi operates as a strategic connector between communities, artists and artisans. Within project activities, the GAL supports participatory processes and facilitates the co-design of products and services capable of transferring local specificities - cultural, material and craft-based - into meaningful experiences for visitors, in line with sustainable tourism and cultural development objectives.

Graduated in Fashion Design at IED in Rome, she opened her own atelier in 2004, creating bespoke, handcrafted garments.

She is currently the founder and owner of her eponymous brand, where she designs exclusive collections and made-to-measure pieces, entirely handmade. She also teaches in ITS courses, training pattern makers and new professional figures in the textile and manufacturing sectors.

She strongly believes in the value of craftsmanship and bespoke tailoring, grounded in a concept of authenticity.

Nicola Cipriani is a photographer, filmmaker and composer based in Bari, Italy. His artistic practice moves across photography, videography and sound composition through a synesthetic approach in which images and sounds generate one another. His research focuses on the infraordinary, thresholds and the “in-between”: liminal spaces where the everyday cracks and reveals what remains unseen. He explores memory, residual objects, architectures in waiting and suspended landscapes, shaping

a personal visual anthropology centred on what resists disappearance. He has composed original soundtracks for films by Alessandro Piva and Laura Muscardin and collaborated with museums, foundations and cultural institutions. His current projects include Infraordinary, Madreterra – Mother Relics and Fototrofio - Phototrophium, a poetic archive of recovered photographs.