OFICI, THREE DAYS OF TRADITIONAL CRAFT AT CARDONA CASTLE

From 6 to 8 November 2026, the first fair devoted to traditional crafts opens in Catalonia: more than 80 master craftspeople from 14 countries

In an age ruled by industrial production, some choose to reclaim the value of time, inherited knowledge and the working hand. It is called OFICI Traditional Craft Fair, and Cardona Castle in Catalonia hosts its first edition from 6 to 8 November 2026. A new meeting point for craft, architecture, design, restoration and contemporary spaces.

For three days, more than 80 master craftspeople present ceramics, wood, metal, glass, natural fibres, textiles, paper and jewellery. They come from Spain, Andorra, Portugal, India, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy, China, South Korea, Brazil, Latvia, Russia, Colombia and Poland. Catalonia has a special role, with more than 30 participants.

Hands, earth, wood

Among the Catalan makers is ceramist Montserrat Carafí Ferrer, deeply rooted in the land, whose research sets traditional Mediterranean pottery in dialogue with contemporary sculpture. From her workshop in the Anoia area, she approaches clay from a contemporary and emotional perspective, in projects such as Les Gerres de l’Ànima and Boladefang, rich in symbolism and connection to place.

Then there is cabinetmaker Xavier Mas, who comes from contemporary art and has won two FAD Awards for creating and directing La Ciutat de les Paraules, a project developed with the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. At one point he chose a radical change: from part-time carpenter to a life devoted entirely to wood. He calls himself a true “woodoholic”.

And also textile artist Carol Fleischman. Born in Venezuela of European and American descent, she approaches weaving and printmaking as narrative languages: layers of colour and texture that intertwine cultures, memories, and the sense of starting over — often not by choice. A voice that speaks of displacement and identity with a bold palette and a freedom of expression that spans continents.

From Poland, dirty hands and living matter

The European Crafts Alliance (ECA) presents a capsule exhibition of around ten carefully selected European works. A group of Polish craftspeople, representing the Creative Industries Institute, brings Material Imagination. Poetics of Dirty Hands, explores the relationship between craftsmanship, materials and nature. Clay, wood, glass and natural fibres are worked directly, combining ancestral techniques with new forms of expression. Imperfection and experimentation are part of the process, resulting in pieces that balance sculptural quality and function.

Saturday talks

On Saturday 7 November, from 12:00 to 13:00, the roundtable “The role of traditional craft in contemporary society” brings together interior designer Tomás Alía, Pepa Entrena, founder of Madrid craft shop Cocol, and Laura Miguel, secretary general of the European Crafts Alliance.

In the afternoon, from 16:30 to 18:00, historian and restorer Joan Güell Solà of the Associació per a l’Estudi del Moble reveals the secrets of a Catalan Baroque chest of drawers with prie-dieu, a type of furniture of which very few intact examples survive, on view at the fair.

OFICI is organised by the Consorci de Comerç, Artesania i Moda de Catalunya (CCAM) and Le Département, with the Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Cardona Town Council, Cardona Turisme and the Museu de la Sal Josep Arnau, and sponsored by Maserati.

Practical information

Friday 6 November: official opening at 11:00, fair open 11:00 to 19:00, awards ceremony at 18:00. Saturday 7: fair open 11:00 to 19:00. Sunday 8: fair open 11:00 to 18:00. Free admission. More at ofici.cat and @oficiartesa.

Visitors can also enjoy a special discount on the Salt Mountain with the code “OFICI” when booking through Cardona Turisme for visits from 4 to 8 November, and a special price at the Salt Museum for fair visitors.