From 25 April to 4 May, Riga takes part in the MIDA (Mostra Internationale dell'Artigianato) international crafts and handicrafts fair in Florence.
The exhibition is housed in seven buildings of the Fortezza da Basso, a historical fortress in Florence. Riga is represented by the studio Rota of the Riga Municipality Culture and Applied Folk Art Centre Ritums, whose members make textiles and various handicrafts, and the folk applied art studio Kalvis, which produces Baltic archaeological ornaments.
The exhibition is now in its 90th year and aims to promote traditional crafts and handicrafts and to pass on this knowledge to future generations. The work of the masters from the Riga folk applied art studios is presented, and the skills of Latvian traditional crafts are demonstrated by Skarleta Mežale, assistant manager of Rotas, and Valda Kesnere, manager of the folk applied art studio Kalvis.
At the Riga stand, craftswomen demonstrate ancient headdress-making techniques: single-needle plaiting, hat decorating techniques, traditional headdresses in a modern way, the making of cels belts, patterned audene (belts), braided belts, as well as the art of knitting patterned gloves.
The stand features a woven Vidzeme šatieris blanket, linen towels with decorated ends woven in various techniques, patterned Latvian gloves, belts made in various techniques, woollen shoulder scarves and shawls, single-needle woven hats, and bronze and silver replicas of archaeological ornaments.
This year, 403 exhibitors (stands) from 31 countries are participating in the fair. We are proud that among the participants is also the sister city of Florence, Riga, representing Latvia with our nation’s rich heritage.
The exhibition has attracted many visitors not only from Florence and the Tuscany region, but also from other parts of Italy. The number of visitors to the fair now exceeds 60,000.
Further information: Linda Puķīte, Project Manager, Division of Cultural Institutions and Intangible Cultural Heritage, Administration of Culture, Department of Education, Culture and Sports, e-mail: linda.pukite@riga.lv.