small enterprise / after school program
4 artisans / 11 students
owner & teacher: zaza gatenashvili
co/rizom partner since 2/2019
what is home?
Zaza creates objects that connect him to his roots.
objects that are covered in archaic symbols carved
deeply into the wood - relating to a world he has lost.
this is not a sentimental notion but a critical part of his identity & that of thousands of Georgian IDPs 'Internally Displaced People' from South Ossetia
who are now living in a settlement near Tbilisi.
Zaza is recovering memory - one movement of the chisel at a time - preserving knowledge while educating students & sharing the cultural traditions of his ancestors with the world.
team: andrei georgescu business development. nadja zerunian creative. susanna koeberle text. pauline thurn und taxis & alex levac photography. tamar kiknadze & maka dvalishvili local support.
small family business
11 female & 2 male artisans
owner: nebije qotaj
co/rizom partner since 1/2019
it takes a lot of courage & determination
to rise as a woman in a traditional Albanian village.
but when the fishing jobs disappeared in neighboring Lake Shkodaer, & her family had to be taken care of, Nebije remembered the long afternoons spent watching her grandmother magically turn row after row of thread into colorful carpets on a loom.
she turned her home into a workshop, dyeing wool & weaving & soon trained & employed eleven local women, each one– the sole breadwinner in their families..
team: andrei georgescu business development. nadja zerunian creative. walter aigner technical expert. marta galli text. pauline thurn und taxis photography. gjoana leka & erjon kacerja albania local support.
volunteer cooperative
9 female & 2 male artisans
community organizer: ana florea
co/rizom partner since 3/2019
cultural appropriation
It took a French couture house & a successful
global campaign to realize that local heritage is
part of people’s identity.
a team of weavers & embroiderers have taken
on a legacy on the verge of extinction.
by recovering centuries-old patterns at a time
when local tastes & needs have moved on from
traditional wear & by applying this knowledge
to a range of products they ensure the continued
relevance & survival of their craft.
team: andrei georgescu business development. chiara van praag creative.
wiener times creative cooperation.
jasmin jouhar texts. nazef rerhuf photography.
artist
3 artisans
owner: abdulvahid karimov
co/rizom partner since 2/2020
when precious talent
is not enough to make a living -
extraordinary traditions are threatened /
corners are cut. products become remnants
of faded glory meaningless souvenirs
disconnected from their legacy.
determined to stay true to the ancient heritage
of the region & its craft a young potter
revives unique techniques & thrives
to produce once again authentic objects.
gilles masse social business development. nadja zerunian creative. matthias kaiser technical expert. karin pollack texts. pauline thurn und taxis photography. jamshid fayzuallev & jack turner local support.
sustainability
amc
cat tail weaving
tápé, hungary
cooperative
20 female artisans
community organizer: terézia eperjesi
co/rizom partner
since 2/2020
bits & pieces
for centuries rural communities knew how to transform scraps into essential household items. but by focusing solely on cost efficiency & large-scale production the tradition of utilizing all supplies available is dying. halting what seemed an inevitable path & by revaluing local knowledge a group of women is reversing this course & slowly reclaiming the use of a natural resource
team:
marta giardini creative.
gabor nagy business development.
pauline thurn und taxis photography.
empowerment
mangala
metal smith
sarajevo, bosnia
small family business
1 female artisan & suppliers
owner: nermina alic
co/rizom partner
since 2/2020
natural succession
a daughter is rising to fill the shoes of her ancestors - breaking with a tradition to resume the legacy of an ancient craft.
maintaining a passion for local patterns & methods she finds her own distinct voice
team:
mischertraxler creative.
trish malloch - brown business development. nick st. oeger photography.kimberly bradley text.
relevance
co/rizom partner
from spring 2020
traditional crafts
on the migration route.
when circumstances suddenly change, artisanal skills can seem pointless in the struggle to survive. we will collaborate with an international initiative
supporting people threatened
by displacement
visibility
hufnagl & soehne
metal smith
vienna, austria
small family business
owner: martin hufnagl
co/rizom partner
from 6/2020
now & then
traditional artisans are vanishing at accelerated speed. this is not just a result of inevitable progress & rapid change. but a fundamental divide of inflexible distribution patterns & shifted purchasing habits. many extraordinarily
talented master artisans have not adjusted to this new environment.
we want to join forces with a traditional viennese artisan to proof that the disappearance of a craft can be challenged if the co/rizom roadmap is applied.