Presentazione del libro: "Arte, Artigianato e Design in Puglia"

As part of the cultural programming of the Carnevale di Putignano Foundation, on Friday, February 6, at 6:00 PM, in the Laporta Hall of the “De Miccolis Angelini” Municipal Library in Putignano, the FAI Trulli e Grotte Delegation will present the volume **"Art, Craftsmanship, and Design in Puglia. Tradition, Modernity, and Future," edited by Pierpaolo Lala and Lara Gigante (Manni Editori, 2025)**.

The book explores the excellences of Puglia's craftsmanship through the dialogue between materials, traditional knowledge, contemporary practices, and future perspectives of craftsmanship and design, providing a detailed map of the most significant experiences in the area. This map places Putignano at the center of the regional landscape, symbolizing continuity between tradition and creativity, thanks to the historic creation of the allegorical floats for the Carnival.
The presentation of the volume thus becomes an opportunity for discussion on the cultural, social, and economic value of Puglia's artistic and craft traditions, as well as the Carnival of Putignano. The meeting, promoted by the **FAI Trulli e Grotte Delegation** in collaboration with the **Carnevale di Putignano Foundation**, will feature the volume's editors, Pierpaolo Lala and Lara Gigante, Deni Bianco (a papier-mâché craftsman from Putignano), Peppino Campanella (a glass craftsman from Polignano a Mare), Cosimo Vestita (a ceramist from Grottaglie), Elena Gentile (Board Member of the Carnevale di Putignano Foundation), and Silvia Laterza (Head of the FAI Trulli e Grotte Delegation).
The meeting will be moderated by Marinilde Giannandrea, Culture Delegate of the FAI Trulli e Grotte Delegation.

"We are particularly pleased to have promoted the presentation of the book edited by Pierpaolo Lala and Lara Gigante, in collaboration with the FAI Trulli e Grotte Delegation, and to have included it as a cultural event in the extensive program of 126 events of the 632nd edition," declares the President of the Carnevale di Putignano Foundation, **Danilo Darest**, "All the words in the title of the volume indeed seem to narrate the mission of the Carnevale Foundation, which has always been attentive to the conservation and promotion of the tradition of our Carnival, representing a constitutive and identity element of the territory and community of Putignano, realized through the skilled and creative hands of our papier-mâché masters. Over the years, the craftsmanship involving glue and newspaper, plaster, and colors has increasingly qualified as a true form of art, recognized at the regional, national, and international levels. In this sense, the presence in the 2026 program of special projects that utilize the art of papier-mâché with innovative and symbolic installations, also as a vehicle for social emancipation, particularly female and youth."

The event will also be an opportunity for reflection on the value of the artistic and cultural heritage because, as stated by **Silvia Laterza**, Head of the FAI Trulli and Grotte Delegation, "Education to beauty and the construction of territorial identity also pass through the narrative of what surrounds us, what lives in our cities, emerging from everyday life through the ability to read, interpret, and communicate the complexity of the contemporary, as only the artists of our time and our land know how to do; we just need to stop and let ourselves be fascinated."

"This book was born from the desire to tell the story of Puglia through its living matter: the natural resources, the hands that transform them, the knowledge that is passed down and renewed," emphasizes **Pierpaolo Lala**, editor of the volume. "Art, craftsmanship, and design are not separate fields; they are parts of a unique narrative that traverses the territory and interprets its deep identity. A journey that sees tradition as a dynamic heritage, capable of dialoguing with contemporary innovation and the new cultural and environmental challenges. Telling these stories means restoring value to the communities, places, and practices that make Puglia a widespread creative laboratory, open to the future."

The event will be free to access, with reserved seating and a 50% discount on the purchase of the volume for FAI members.
Web: fondoambiente.it/eventi/pre...