“Stitching Adventure in Tuscany” project begins in Florence today.
Supported by UNESCO through the Cultural and Creative for the Western Balkans, “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” (CC4WBs), project funded by the European Union, aims to foster dialogue in the Western Balkans by enhancing the cultural and creative sectors for increased socio-economic impact.
Key actors in the project are two mobile artists: Professor Nadia Albertini from Paris and Professor Vesna Todorovski from Belgrade. Through their workshops and educational tours in Tuscan museums, they will exchange original motifs from Serbia and Italy with the goal of preserving intangible cultural heritage, including the transfer of motifs from clothing to interior design items and the creation of Renaissance floral motifs inspired by Botticelli using Serbian embroidery techniques.
Nadia Albertini is a Franco-Mexican embroidery and textile designer based in Paris. She has worked for numerous fashion houses such as Chloé, Chanel, Balmain, and Schiaparelli. She is currently collaborating on various projects in Paris, Singapore, Florence, and Mumbai.
Professor Vesna Todorovski, after a successful twenty-year career at the School of Design in Belgrade, has focused on establishing an innovative business model aimed at reviving traditional skills with a rich heritage and empowering artisans in the Western Balkan countries. Author and coordinator of numerous projects in the field of education related to intangible cultural heritage and a member of the cultural council of the Michelangelo Foundation in Geneva.
Upon returning to Belgrade, there are plans to organize embroidery workshops that will incorporate elements learned during the knowledge exchange in Florence. These workshops will enable participants to apply new skills and techniques, further strengthening the local community and fostering interest in traditional textile techniques.
“This project celebrates the rich tradition of handicrafts in the Balkans, which is still underrepresented and undiscovered in the EU. Through innovation and education, it provides an opportunity for knowledge and experience exchange between artists from the Balkans and colleagues from the European Union, promoting our intangible cultural heritage on the international stage”, Professor Vesna Todorovski, project trainer, said.
The project “Stitching Adventure in Tuscany” is a continuation of the exhibition and workshops held at the Old Village Museum in Sirogojno in July 2022, and after its conclusion in Florence, workshops are planned to continue in Belgrade during 2025.
