Exhibitions & Events

As part of our ongoing mission to promote crafts from Europe, ECA participates in various exhibitions, fairs & events which generate visibility and awareness about the wide range of contemporary and traditional productions from across the region.
In recent years, ECA has presented the work of exceptional craftspeople at international shows such as:

Révélations 2019

The board in partnership with Ateliers d’ Art de France have put considerable work in to realise the exhibition and Crafting Europe Symposium to mark the 40th Anniversary of  ECA.

The exhibition represented the work of 24 craftspeople from across Europe, selected from an open call to ECA members and via the ECA website. The ECA board made the selection of the 24 craftspeople out of the 158 applications received based on quality of work, geographic and discipline representation and curatorial cohesion.

L’Oseraie de l’Ile and Denis Monfleur from France, Elisabeth Thorsen and Erlend Leirdal from Norway, Kristiina Nyrhinen and Tarja Tuupanen from Finland, Olle Olls from Sweden, Jean-Paul Thiefels from Luxembourg, Steve Buck from England, Dorothee Wenz from Germany, Helga Mogensen from Iceland, Morten Klitgaard from Denmark, Roger Coll Trias from Spain, Catherine Liechti from Switzerland, Stephen O’Briain, Pierce Healy and Una Burke from Ireland, Boris de Beijer from The Netherlands, Štefan Sekač from Slovakia, Viktor Frešo from Slovakia, Martin Janecký from Czech Republic, Elise Peroi from Belgium, Daniela Forti from Italy, Zsolt József Simon from Hungary.

Révélations 2023

During the European Year of Skills ECA intends to showcase the skills and competences of European Craftspeople by paying homage to the evolution of craft techniques from traditional through to the contemporary moment. Of the more than 300 submissions received, the Board and Secretariat of ECA made a pre-selection that was downsized by the curators Romain Juilha and Jean Blanchaert to 9 artists who represent the variety of materials, techniques and visions of European creativity at this very moment. The works of both Elly Glossop and Elysia Athanatos demonstrate the rich diversity of the world of ceramics and how the material can be perceived in various ways. Both play with landscapes and spaces which suggest expressions of geology through waves of fluid movement which fill the ‘void’ with light. Likewise, the work of Helena Schepens, produced in metal, also plays with light and shadow through patterns inspired by nature. Joaquim Falcó & Meritxell Tembleque take the birds and their immense symbolic universe as an inspiration to color their ever changing glass works. Maria Pratas shows the link between life in the hinterland and everyday life at the sea uniting different shapes and colors through a spiral basketry technique. Helen O’Shea uses textile techniques to produce fine artworks using waste plastic appealing to our consciousness about the sustainability of materials. Within the same spirit, Simone Post has created a cabinet made from the misprints of Vlisco. Saar Scheerlings work is a result of a process much like a harbor or trade route: unknown ingredients meet and influence each other and result in something new. And Leonie Burkhardt brings the craft of weaving into a third dimension.

Contemporania 2023

The goal of CONTEMPORANIA Barcelona High Craftsmanship is to promote national and international artists through exhibition and communication; support jewellery and craftsmanship and help open up an artistic market that has remained under-exploited until now. Moreover, CONTEMPORANIA is a platform for artists to interact and share experiences and discuss their common issues and an opportunity for artists, press, distributors and interested audience to come into contact.

Over the course of 3 days, CONTEMPORANIA offers designers a new space and environment to increase their contact lists and exhibit their pieces. The event is organised by Le Département Interiors S.L and the Consortium of Commerce, Crafts and Fashion of Catalonia (CCAM). During Contemporania, ECA we will be showcasing works by 11 artists from 10 different countries, who were chosen because they demonstrate an exceptional level of craftsmanship and creativity during this moment of the 2023 European Year of Skills.

Other Events

The ECA Board and Secretariat participates in external events representing the network, either on a panel discussion; as a guest speaker or as a juror or committee member.

Some examples include: the Craft Cities seminar in Bornholm Denmark; Arts & Crafts: New Design Biennial in Portugal; the Social Innovation seminar in Pamplona Spain; Digimentor Days at Finnish Craft & Design Fair; Skillman International Forum in Italy; Madrid Craft Week in Spain; Made 2.0 Conference in Dresden, Erasmus+ ArtIsan online; Malta Craft award and numerous others.