Mercredi 24 septembre 2025 à 17h
Bâtiment W1 • Salle W1.115
Campus de La Garde
Séminaire 2025-2026 organisé par l’équipe Écriture des espaces euro-méditerranéens du Laboratoire Babel
Conférence animée par Roberto Paladini, Università Iuav di Venezia
Titre : « What is the relationship between artistic craftsmanship and tourism in the Venetian context ? »
What is the relationship between artistic craftsmanship and tourism in art cities ? By analyzing the complex interactions between the pressures of the tourism sector and artistic and traditional craft activities, the research explores the transformations in production practices, social relations, and cultural meanings associated with craftsmanship in contexts with a strong tourist vocation.
The study investigates how tourism influences the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of artisan communities, through a mixed methodology that combines quantitative analyses of tourism and economic data with qualitative interviews with artisans and sector operators, focusing on one of the most emblematic Italian tourist destinations known for its craftsmanship : Venice.
The research identifies the main mechanisms through which tourism impacts local artistic craftsmanship, highlighting how it can represent both an opportunity for revitalization and enhancement of artisanal traditions, and a risk of commodification, instrumentalization, and loss of authenticity. Furthermore, the study analyzes the growing dependence of these businesses on specific sources of income linked to tourism.
The research contributes to the sociological debate on the relationship between globalization, tourism, communities, and local cultures, offering new perspectives on the dynamics of adaptation and resistance of artisan communities in the face of the challenges posed by the global tourism market and the crisis of the craft sector.