Common Crafts – Common Libraries

Common Crafts – Common Libraries invites libraries to rediscover traditional craft practices. Through local workshops, hands-on activities, and public formats, Goethe-Institut libraries develop ways of making craft knowledge visible and tangible.

Background

Common Crafts – Common Libraries brings together nine European Goethe-Institutes in a shared process of learning, exchange, and development. At the heart of the project lies the question: What new impulses can traditional craft practices bring to libraries — as knowledge spaces that go beyond simply providing books and connect people through hands-on engagement?

To explore this question, librarians, designers, and cultural practitioners from Armenia, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Türkiye and Ukraine met in Athens in 2025 to discuss approaches and perspectives for connecting crafts and libraries. Practices such as pottery, textile work, bookbinding, and gardening make traditional knowledge tangible and accessible. Libraries are thereby established as public spaces where knowledge can be explored through practice, reflected upon, and further developed.

The project connects craft practice with sustainable ways of working and new forms of knowledge sharing. The regional diversity of the participating experts is a particular strength of the project. Different experiences, resources, and contexts create opportunities for mutual inspiration and for developing approaches that are rooted in local realities while remaining relevant across the region.

Curation

Ivana Borovnjak (Croatia)

Ivana Borovnjak is a Zagreb-based designer and cultural producer working at the crossroads of visual culture and material practices. She co-founded the Oaza Collective and leads initiatives in craft, publishing, and design advocacy.

Experts 2025

Serdar Aydın is an architect and Associate Professor at Mardin Artuklu University, where he leads Mimfab, a research center exploring the intersection of heritage and technology through digital fabrication and VR. His work reimagines traditional stone craftsmanship in Mardin as a platform for innovation and cultural continuity.
Lucia Dubačová is a cultural strategist and curator specializing in digital arts, known for founding the Sensorium Festival and leading Trenčín’s successful bid for European Capital of Culture 2026. She works across institutions to foster innovation in placemaking and cultural entrepreneurship.
Anja Flicker is the Director of the Cologne City Library with a background in knowledge management and international library innovation. Her career spans leadership roles in public libraries and private sector consultancy, emphasizing strategic development and global networking.
Fabian Hesse & Mitra Wakil are a Germany-based art duo whose practice explores digital fabrication and speculative world-building through sculpture, installation, and performance. Their work challenges technological norms and fosters emancipatory approaches to digital media.
Jelena Popović is Senior Curator at the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade, with over 17 years of experience in contemporary applied arts and design. She curates international exhibitions and contributes to museological discourse through research, writing, and education.
Eva Vaslamatzi is an Athens-based curator and writer whose work engages with archival material, site-specificity, and collaborative commissions. She develops exhibitions, residencies, and publications that respond to contemporary cultural and artistic challenges.