Design For Craft

Guta Moura Guedes curated and lead the Artistic Direction of Design for Craft, a New Platform for Contemporary, Design-Driven Craft at FIA Lisbon International Crafts Fair.

The Lisbon International Crafts Fair (FIA), the second-largest event of its kind in Europe, with over three decades of history, is undertaking a strategic repositioning that places contemporary design at the heart of its future vision for craftsmanship. To lead this shift, FIA has invited curator and artistic director Guta Moura Guedes, co-founder of experimentadesign, to conceive, develop and direct the programme of Design for Craft – a new platform that aims to rethink, reframe, and elevate the relationship between design and craft, both nationally and internationally.

Design for Craft seeks to reaffirm – starting from Lisbon and radiating outward – that design can be a vital force for the sustainability of craft: not only socially and culturally, but also economically. The initiative aims to expand markets and generate greater value for both sectors, while also attracting new generations to craftsmanship and to a design practice grounded in social, cultural, and ecological responsibility.

The platform’s first milestone was the exhibition at FIA 2025, running from June 28 to July 6 in Lisbon, which served as a statement of intent and a springboard for the wider programme to unfold over the coming years.

According to Guta Moura Guedes:

“Craft has accompanied humanity’s evolution, it is inherently sustainable, yet in many places it faces the risk of extinction or deep fragilisation. Design, as the operative discipline of our time, must serve craft: not to overwrite it, but to empower it. This relationship holds genuine potential to safeguard and renew traditional practices while ensuring their economic viability. In this first milestone of Design for Craft, we showcase pieces created exclusively by Portuguese artisans, through collaborations where contemporary designers — both local and international — immersed themselves in the universe of craft. What emerges is something new: works that reflect the mastery of the hand, the cultural depth of place, the strength of materials, and the intelligence of design as a tool for sustainable evolution.” June 2025