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.

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.

Henry Marić (Pula, 1971) is a Croatian ceramic artist whose practice bridges traditional craftsmanship and contemporary aesthetics. He began working with ceramics in the late 1990s, developing his skills through independent research after initial training with sculptor Alija Rešić. His primary focus is utilitarian ceramics designed for everyday use, reinforcing the relationship between object and user. Marić explores and teaches historical ceramic techniques—from prehistoric and Roman to medieval traditions—reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens. With a background interest in music, he investigates the acoustic qualities of clay, creating resonant and percussive ceramic forms that he occasionally performs with. He has collaborated with multimedia artists, musicians, cultural institutions and community organizations, leading workshops and presentations on traditional crafts for diverse audiences.

GAL Terra dei Trulli e di Barsento is a public–private partnership operating under the EU LEADER approach, responsible for implementing local development strategies and cooperation projects in rural areas. It promotes bottom-up governance, coordinating participatory processes and fostering sustainable territorial growth. The GAL brings together balanced public and private stakeholders representing the socio-economic fabric of the municipalities of Alberobello, Castellana Grotte, Gioia del Colle, Monopoli, Noci, Putignano, Sammichele di Bari and Turi.

Supported by EU Rural Development funds, its core activities include rural tourism development, support for micro and small enterprises, innovation in local production systems (agri-food, craft and manufacturing sectors), enhancement of cultural and artistic heritage, promotion of local identities and products, and social inclusion initiatives.

Antonella Pagano is the founder and creative director of the sustainable fashion brand Simplicitas, entirely designed and produced in Puglia. Her work focuses on artisanal clothing and accessories made from natural or low-impact fabrics, combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design research. Through an approach that balances tradition and innovation, she develops garments that reflect local identity while embracing experimentation. Dynamic and collaborative by nature, she values teamwork and is strongly oriented toward creative development and material exploration.

Roberto Salahaddin Re David is an Italian researcher, pianist and composer. He began his musical training at an early age, studying voice, guitar, piano and drums, while performing in music groups alongside his father. He continued his studies at the Niccolò Piccinni Conservatory in Bari, specialising in Double Bass and Composition, and further developed his practice in piano and vocal studies.

His artistic research engages deeply with the heritage of Western music, ranging from ancient theoretical traditions to contemporary and avant-garde composition. Over time, his work has increasingly focused on experimental and interdisciplinary approaches, exploring sound as a field of research and creative investigation.