Since 2023, MADE IN platform has been exploring new ways to connect traditional crafts with contemporary design and scientific research. Across six countries, 10 partners have connected craftspeople, designers, and researchers through residencies, exhibitions, and summer schools, focusing on different collaborations, from gold embroidery and blacksmithing to AI-driven design and natural pigment production.
An important part of the platform is the , a collection of over 100 entries documenting traditional crafts, natural materials, and scientific insights. Entries include the fine art of wooden toy-making in Germany and wool dyeing in Serbia to the study of microbial pigments and sustainable forestry practices. It links traditional crafts with contemporary design and cutting-edge research to highlight new possibilities for sustainable design and material innovation.
As MADE IN moves into its final stage, a series of local exhibitions by platform partners will present the project’s key findings and creations. Following the successful Intertwined exhibition by Nova Iskra in Belgrade (Dec 2024–Jan 2025), which explored the dramaturgy of knitting connecting crafts and design processes, the next local exhibition by Passa AO Futuro will be presented in Lisbon (27 Feb–15 Mar 2025), showcasing plant-based design and basket weaving; exhibition Crafting New Heritage by Zenica City Museum in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina (11 Mar–Apr 2025) will highlighting gold embroidery, woodcarving, and pottery with local clay; while in Rijeka (6-27 Mar 2025), the exhibition by Oaza, Drugo more and Museum of Arts and Crafts (MUO) will explore innovative material applications and cross-disciplinary collaborations.
The most comprehensive showcase will take place at the exhibition in Center Rog and MAO in Ljubljana (15 May–14 Sept 2025), where visitors can explore the experimental techniques, prototypes and finished products created as part of MADE IN. Later in the year, MADE IN will also be featured at the Chemnitz European Capital of Culture 2025, with an exhibition facilitated by State Art Collections Dresden, Museum of Decorative Arts (SKD) and University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ) in Schneeberg (24 Oct–20 Dec 2025) that presents the platform’s work on a broader cultural stage.
