Madrid Christmas Fair celebrates Georgian art and crafts
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Exquisite Georgian art, crafts and cuisine can be found at the International Christmas Fair of Cultures in Spain’s capital Madrid, where stalls representing countries from all parts of the world are waiting to be explored.
The Conde Duque culture centre in the city is hosting the final days of the annual Christmas celebration, which involves performances, film screenings, workshops and stalls from more than 40 countries.
Georgia is hosting one of many stalls at the December 17-22 celebration and is exhibiting local craft works made by about 60 local artists, as well as traditional cuisine, wine and other tasty treats.
The Georgian stall at the Madrid Christmas fair features craft items made by 60 local artists. Photo from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia.
The Georgia-made craft items included Christmas and New Year dolls, paintings, decorations and other festive accessories all made in a variety of ways using a range of resources and tools.
The Georgian stall also featured wine and sweets and was organised by the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia with help from the Georgian Embassy in Spain.
A craft item from the Georgian stall at the Madrid Christmas fair. Photo from the Ministry of Culture and Monument Protection of Georgia.
Tomorrow is the last day of the annual international Christmas fair. This year’s event was staged by the Madrid City Council in collaboration with foreign embassies and cultural organisations.
Handmade Georgian crafts, traditional cuisine and various souvenirs were a popular attraction at the annual International Christmas Festival in Prague.
Latvia has followed Ukraine’s lead by hosting its own Tbilisoba celebration in its capital city Riga.
A project for preserving the legacy of Georgia’s traditional crafts has been named among winners of this year’s prestigious prize from Europe’s leading cultural heritage organisation Europa Nostra.
Hundreds of handmade dolls and puppets created by crafters from around Georgia will go on display at Tbilisi’s Folklore Centre tomorrow to celebrate the art form.
The significance of crafts heritage and ways of preserving and transferring skills to the next generation will be some of the subjects bringing together professionals of the World Crafts Council Europe in Tbilisi next week, as the continental body celebrates its 40th anniversary.