The jewels of Rwanda. Autonomy and entrepreneurship for women of Rwanda

From March 26 to April 26, the Hall of the Seasons and the Hall of Liberty Cafe Florian in Venice host the exhibition "The jewels of Rwanda. Autonomy and entrepreneurship for women of Rwanda". The exhibition, organized in collaboration with Soroptimist International of Italy Club of Venice, offers sixty creations (rings, bracelets, earrings) made of natural fibers woven inserts and silver by artisans and designers Rwandan and Italian.
The exhibition is part of the Atelier Rwanda - edited by Geneviève Henrot Sostero, overseen by Patrizia Salmoiraghi, national coordinator Soroptimist projects for Africa - which aims to renew and diversify the local craft starting from the human resources, materials , the customs and techniques specific to the territory.
Atelier Rwanda brainchild of sculptor Bettina Scholl Sabbatini, who recovered the ancient technique Rwandan dell'agaseke reinterpreted in design. The Soroptimist Club of San Marino, with the club in Kigali, in 2007, took this idea and identified designers interested in promoting research based on the use of natural fibers, offering the jewel as an object of study. In Rwanda the vannerie d'art is the art of woven and vegetable fibers to fashion objects and initiative of Atelier Rwanda has as its primary purpose the preservation and development of this type of craft, a "know-how" that the Today is an asset to be safeguarded. It is a sector that over time has felt the impact with Western civilization but can still play a very important role in socio-economic.
The Union Soroptimist of Italy has embraced the project with confidence and the Soroptimist Club of Venice is inserted, with the exhibition of Florian, in a full program of conferences, travel and fundraising campaigns organized by the Association.
Since 2008, when it held the first exhibition of the Atelier Rwanda, have been many initiatives at national and international level that allowed the direct exchange and mutual knowledge and skills among the Rwandan artisans and students in design of Italy , of San Marino and other countries of the world. One goal, raising a poor material to a high symbolic value and commercial, has resulted in the creation of jewelry different from each other and from the powerful personality.
 The inserts in silver objects on display at Florian were created, based on drawings made by some institutions Italian design, by a cooperative of Vicenza goldsmith, Spring 85, with which the Soroptimist clubs have recently initiated a collaboration aimed at ' employment of the disabled and to ensure a high quality metal processing and finishing.
Some of the objects to Florian are part of the first collection on display in an exhibition in Florence in 2010 and now housed in the Palazzo Pitti.

Vai alla guida d'arte di Venice