Co-Obradoiro Galego
Basic information
Project Title
Category
Project Description
Co-Obradoiro Galego is a collaborative project situated in Galicia that looks at biotechniques to help regenerate and revive our craft heritage. The basketry decline situation derives from the reforestation with trees in Galicia from which their wood is not feasible for basketry. In collaboration with basketmakers, we explored a conscious method to continue basketry weaving with a crustaceans-based material shaping regenerative approaches, creating a social, economic, and ecological development.
Geographical Scope
Project Region
Urban or rural issues
Physical or other transformations
Which funds
Year
Description of the project
Summary
This project is Galicia-based. The Atlantic Ocean has supplied the Spanish population its whole history, resulting in 602 tonnes of Galician seafood shells wasted per year, meaning a significant danger to the environment. Moreover, this amount of waste has increased in the past years due to a higher seafood demand, production systems, and the implementation of modern fishing tools. The seafood industry is no longer using traditional fishing methods, putting at risk local crafts, such as basketry. The basketry decline mainly derives from the reforestation of non-autochthonous trees in Galicia, from which their wood is not feasible for basketry techniques. That is why Co-Obradoiro Galego proposes to the basketmakers to weave with a seafood shells-based extruded flexible biomaterial. We are removing a harmful waste resource from our environment at the same time that we keep a craft over time. Waste from crustaceans becomes a valuable resource. We are using traditional weaving methods while encouraging contemporary bio-techniques. We are challenging techniques and crafts, producing a regional design at our time level, and re-connecting the seafood industry and the basketry by applying a regenerative system.
Key objectives for sustainability
We are applying a regenerative system that brings value and utility to a local unusable waste resource -seafood shells- for the basketmakers to weave with. This work reflects the life cycle of the materials applied; wood, wicker, and chitosan-based biomaterial. All of them are biodegradable, sending a message to the audience about the permanence of the Galician basketry techniques, Galician basketweavers, and the Galician culture through materials that disappear but reactivate the Galician economy.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
How must cultures have a place in the creative community and decision-making? What kind of cultures do we want to create through our design skills? Or perhaps, it is the inverse - How do cultures influence design?
The decision-making for the design approach comes from studying historical topics and social manners in a specific context. This weaving design collection shares stories and traditions from the Galician culture. As was defended by the creators of the “Laboratorio de Formas” from Galicia; work must be the child of its time but without ignoring where it comes from. Along with the whole project, the innovation term links with tradition making it unique.
Key objectives for inclusion
"Co-Obradorio Galego" empower and preserves communities through partnership. Collaboration is central to sustaining cultural acknowledgment creating new narratives, exploring conscious methods to continue a craft through materiality, and shaping regenerative approaches.
Being humble, meeting everyone with the best intentions, and respecting and valuing people’s time. Being solutions-oriented, approaching challenges with solutions, also during difficult times.
Physical or other transformations
Innovative character
The core motivation of the design methodology for "Co-Obradoiro Galego" combines ecological, scientific, and cultural specificities.
Through "Co-Obradoiro Galego" we are creating a social narrative and shaping it into a conscious design -weaving pieces collection - for a positive impact. It is about researching, designing, and communicating, inspired by the local surrounding. Collaboration, cultural and regenerative principles are at the forefront of this design practice and its values - we are maintaining traditional techniques alive at the same time that we restore, protect our environment and the Galician basketry community.
