"Artigiano OMA 2021" rewards talent, quality production, tradition and experience. Italian companies of excellence selected by the Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte.
Another 97 new artisan workshops receive the Award for Artisan Talent and Quality Production at Villa Bardini in Florence. This biennial award brings to over 500 the number of Italian craftsmen who are part of the "Artigiano OMA" network, the lifeblood of the economy of our territories, who enliven Italy's cities and historic towns with their tools, numerous materials and products.
We are honoured to be able to host this award at Villa Bardini," says Renato Gordini, Secretary General of the Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron, "which recognises the best talents of Italian artistic craftsmanship. With their knowledge and craftsmanship they contribute to enhancing the value of Made in Italy, which is recognised throughout the world".
"The 'Artigiano OMA' award ceremony is certainly for the OMA Association one of the most significant moments of our activity," says Luciano Barsotti, President of the OMA Association - Osservatorio dei Mestieri d'Arte, "which we had to postpone last year because of the pandemic. That is why we are doubly pleased to be here today, a strong signal that must accompany the restart of a sector that has suffered greatly from the backlash of the health crisis. My congratulations to each of the artisans in our network and a special welcome to the new members.
The selected OMA artisans display the OMA plaque and celebrate the craftsmanship tradition that they preserve and innovate with their products, presenting the high quality and great experience of know-how. The list of OMA network companies, awarded since 2010, is collected in a publication available to the artisans of the OMA network. The creative project was curated by Cristina Andolcetti and Michele Monasta and the graphic design by Stefano Casati and Chiara Cesaraccio.
Personal considerations
Italian artistic craftsmanship represents the true roots of all true and untrue Made in Italy in the world. Whether we like it or not, this is an indisputable objective fact. Our tradition, craftsmanship, authenticity, expertise, creativity, interpretation, innovation and talent are all prerogatives that have made our nation famous throughout the world.
I am immensely proud of the presence of associations like OMA that support the culture and tradition of Italian artistic craftsmanship. In my opinion, recognising excellence is no longer an award ceremony, but a cultural duty. Handing down and preserving knowledge through the alternation of generations is becoming increasingly complicated and demanding. This is why Master Craftsmen like me are becoming a rarity, a category on the verge of extinction.
The cause? The indifference of elected governments and those not elected by Italian citizens who have allowed and continue to allow the non-existence of an international Made in Italy label certifying the presence of 80% of the production chain in Italy. The indifference of the governments in dealing with a regulation, defined and shared by the trade and cultural associations present on the national territory. the inability of the system to defend the consumer. It is clear to everyone that these governments are not at all interested in enhancing and certifying Italy's national artistic cultural heritage. What is this situation producing with the passage of time?
As I have already said, it is making our category, a dying category, hundreds of years of tradition and culture, burnt in a few decades. In favour of whom?
It is clear that large, branded production chains are favoured. Everyone knows that in most cases, these companies import from poor countries where the exploitation of human, social or environmental rights is best practised. They end up offering the general market only worthless and illicitly stained patches. Many companies sell made in Italy, but nothing is true, because it is only imported material, but people don't know that. who should check for illegalities?
This is the point. This is why it is important to take a census of Italian companies and artisans, to define a universal vocabulary as the project says WELLMADE.
Everything that deserves to be done, deserves to be done well"
