- Authors: Maria Lusiani & Manfredi de Bernard
A Ceramic Soul: Materiality in Craft Cluster Dynamics. An Oral History Approach
Abstract
This paper explores the evolutionary dynamics of craft clusters through an oral history approach and through the lens of materiality, with a particular focus on how the physical matter of craft—such as clay in ceramics—plays a central role in shaping both individual practices and regional trajectories. While the field of management studies has increasingly acknowledged the significance of materiality, existing perspectives often conceptualize it in terms of tools, technologies, or artefacts used in organizing and strategizing. With a focus on craft, this study shifts the attention to materiality as the very matter and making processes that define craft itself.
We build on Yang et al.’s (2021) understanding of materiality as the embeddedness and persistence of materials and skills in a place and argue that materiality is critical to understanding both the micro-level of craftwork and the macro-level of cluster dynamics. This dual focus bridges two academic streams: the growing literature on craft in organization studies, and the body of research on craft clusters in regional studies, which examines spatial and institutional dynamics over time.
While organization studies are increasingly conceptualizing craft not just as a profession but as a mode of organizing—emphasizing human-centered, knowledge-intensive, and sustainable practices—regional studies have highlighted the transformation of craft clusters in response to economic and technological shifts. However, materiality is rarely at the center of either perspective. By placing materiality—specifically, ceramics—as the focal point, this paper aims to integrate the micro and macro dimensions of craft and cluster evolution.
The empirical grounding for this research is the ceramics cluster of Nove, Italy, a historically rich craft region facing post-industrial decline. Unlike other clusters that have transitioned into knowledge economies or neo-craft ecosystems, Nove presents a hybrid scenario. It retains remnants of industrial production alongside a new generation of artisans with diverse and often international training. Data is being collected through a combination of oral histories and archival materials, encompassing local historical documents, trade association records, and interviews with artisans. This methodological blend is designed to capture both the micro experiences of individual crafters and the macro transformations of the cluster.
Preliminary findings point to two key dynamics. First, macro-to-micro influences: the decline of local institutional supports, such as ceramic schools and stable factory employment, pushed many younger crafters to seek education and experience elsewhere, often in major cities or abroad. However, many later returned, drawn by personal and professional ties to ceramics and the unique resources available in Nove. Second, micro-to-macro dynamics: these returnees, equipped with diverse skills and broader perspectives, are actively reshaping the district’s cultural and economic landscape. Their re-engagement with ceramics, often in innovative and hybrid forms, contributes to a reconstitution of the cluster itself.
Materiality—specifically, ceramics—emerges as a crucial mediating force in this interplay. It acts both as a “push” and “pull” factor. On one hand, ceramics is deeply embedded in the personal histories and cultural identities of the community, transmitted subtly through everyday life and family traditions. On the other, Nove offers unmatched access to residual expertise, tools, and local knowledge, creating a compelling reason for artisans to return and innovate. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that materiality is more than a backdrop to craft—it is an active, constitutive force that binds together industrial legacies and emerging artisanal practices. By centering the matter of ceramics in both micro and macro dynamics, the paper contributes to a richer theoretical understanding of materiality in organizational and regional studies, proposing it as a vital axis for the adaptive regeneration of craft clusters.
- Authors: Manfredi de Bernard & Fabrizio Panozzo
Contextualizing Craft Practices Within Varieties of Capitalism
Abstract
Contemporary academic narratives often present craft as an “alternative” or oppositional form of organizing—romanticized as a reaction to the alienation of industrial and digital capitalism. While this view has enriched theoretical debates, it reflects a narrow empirical base rooted predominantly in the economic and institutional context of advanced liberal market economies (LMEs). In this paper, we argue that the perception of craft as marginal or resistant to capitalism is not inherent to craft itself, but rather a product of scholarship emerging from and overrepresenting specific capitalist configurations. This ontological framing fails to account for the broader diversity of craft practices across different political economies.
To address this limitation, we adopt the Varieties of Capitalism (VoC) framework (Hall & Soskice, 2001) to explore how craft is embedded in, and shaped by, differing institutional environments. We focus in particular on coordinated market economies (CMEs), where craft plays a fundamentally different role than in LMEs. Our empirical attention centers on the Italian case, and specifically the “Third Italy,” a region historically characterized by dense networks of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) organized into industrial districts.
In this context, craft has not been peripheral or oppositional but rather integral to the dominant production model. Artisans and small firms have acted as central actors within territorially embedded systems of flexible specialization, trust-based subcontracting, and non-market coordination mechanisms. Far from being an escape from capitalism, craft in these regions has long been a functional and strategic component of a distinct capitalist configuration— coexisting with and contributing to economic innovation, adaptability, and regional competitiveness.
Revisiting the literature on Italian industrial districts, we show how crafters have historically operated within relational economies shaped by shared norms, vocational infrastructures, and institutional support. These dynamics enabled craft to be embedded in production systems that resisted vertical integration and standardization while maintaining strong economic performance. The persistence of these models into the present—albeit in transformed ways— further challenges simplistic portrayals of craft as ephemeral or nostalgic.
We argue for a thicker ontology of craft that reflects its embeddedness in diverse socio- economic formations. By moving beyond LME-centric assumptions, our analysis repositions craft not as a marginal or aesthetic deviation, but as a historically grounded and economically embedded form of organizing. Recognizing this diversity opens up new perspectives for understanding craft’s resilience and relevance within contemporary capitalism, and invites a more nuanced engagement with how
- Authors: Camilla Ferri, Margherita De Luca, Giovanni Favero & Fabrizio Panozzo
Deconstructing Rhetorical History Through Irony: Insights from Two Experiments of ”art-based research” on craft
Abstract
Craft is often perceived as a creative act that connects the past with the present. Even if performed in the present, craft often reminds directly the past, e.g. thanks to antique materials or techniques used, or evokes pre-industrial ways of production in its practices and philosophy. This attention to the past in craft can be understood as a response to the desire for authenticity and human meaning in modern life, which often leads to the use of nostalgic narratives and a kind of romanticization and sacralization of this activity, which one can ascribe to a form of “rhetorical history” (Suddaby et al., 2010) built around craft.
Rhetorical history is a stream of research in Management and Organizational History that shows how historical representations are constructed by managers and organizations and employed to persuade audiences and stakeholders with a strategic scope. Rhetorical history on craft is constructed when craft entrepreneurs and/or local administrations or national government build a convincing narrative around the past of a craft to nurture a sense of identity into a community or communicate authenticity to an audience (often tourists). This sometimes may lead to episodes of “craft washing” where industrialized activities are edulcorated with a narrative evoking pure or authentic craft ways of production. Literature has showed awareness of these kinds of rhetorical processes, but they have not been examined in depth to understand their facets and their implication on entrepreneurship and society.
With this methodological essay, we propose one possible peculiar way to deconstruct and, hence, better understand the rhetorical history on craft as a form of creative entrepreneurship: the use of irony, within the broader perspective of “art-based research” (ABR) (Cacciatore & Panozzo, 2025).
ABR is a research approach that integrates artistic and academic practices to investigate complex phenomena, creating new theoretical and cognitive frameworks outside traditional methodological boundaries. In this study, within a broad realm of artistic instruments that art-based research can use, we chose the one of irony given it is a powerful device that can deconstruct or undermine general rhetoric by exposing its contradictions, exaggerations, or its underlying assumptions (Watson, 2015). The language of irony, subversion, humour and critique may particularly suit addressing the constructed and performative nature of craft’s relationship with the past and to move beyond the romanticized narratives often associated with craft discourses, exposing their inherent contradictions and limitations. Thanks to irony, researchers become spectators, temporarily go out from the “academic” scene assuming a more external position, that helps to better isolate and reconsider the original rhetoric from a new, critical perspective.
In the paper, we show an application of ABR and irony on two experiments in the realm of craft — an AI art exhibition proposing a “virtual history” (Ferguson, 2001) of a craft-based economy (“A brave new world”) and a stand-up comedy performance (“Intelligenza Artigianale”) about craft making in Venice, that have irony as fil rouge.
Through these two experiences, we show that irony — a subversive and multifaceted tool — can serve as a means to critically understand and deconstruct the entrenched narratives made about craft and the past. This process may not only unveil hidden angles of craft as a form of work and entrepreneurship, but also make it more evident that craft is not just technique or material, but the result of narratives that define its cultural and social value. Rhetoric, far from obscuring craft, is how craft exists and finds meaning in the contemporary context, making it a phenomenon worthy of critical analysis. By integrating artistic language into this process, our research experiments can illuminate craft’s dynamic and contested nature as a cultural practice, challenging simplistic or reductive narratives.
- Author: Divya Jyoti
Garment Makers or Garment Workers?: Crafting ‘Ethical’ Fashion
Abstract
Drawing on the case of the fashion industry, in this paper I call into question the distinction between maker and worker in the context of a garment factory and draw attention to the ethical, social and political implications of this divide. Tailoring, historically, has been recognised as a highly skilled job and yet within the doors of a garment factory a ‘pattern maker’ is a master and all others are ‘operators’ and ‘helpers’. Based on an ethnographic study of a factory which produces garments for leading global fashion brands, I illustrate the hierarchy and divisions between ‘makers’ and presenting the way workers view and relate to their everyday work, call into question how the categories are an arbitrary imposition, underpinned by the drive for mechanised efficiency. Such a drive for cheapest possible most efficient fast fashion production has resulted in the fashion industry remaining fraught with challenges of low pay and inhuman working conditions. What might happen if we changed the conversation? What prospect for ethical production might exist if the dominant narrative of ‘workers’ was to be replaced by ‘makers’? In this paper, I combine my own reflections of working in and studying the fashion industry with the experiences of workers I have met during my research, to explore the potential and limits of ‘crafting’ ethical fashion.
- Author: Susana Borrás
Crafting Visual Storytelling for Sustainability: Photography as a Tool for Research Dissemination
Abstract
Scientific research dissemination traditionally relies on textual formats such as academic papers, reports, and policy briefs. While effective within scholarly communities, these methods often fail to engage broader audiences or evoke the emotional responses needed to drive societal change. This paper explores how photography, as an artistic medium, can be crafted to enhance research dissemination.
We study the photographic exhibition “Green Capacitors” which is the main artistic dissemination effort of the CAPACITOR research project. More concretely, we analyze how visual storytelling in that photographic exhibition can communicate research results about the role of public sector leadership in sustainability transitions more effectively than conventional methods.
CAPACITOR, funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, is a research project that investigates the organizational capacities of municipalities, national agencies, and publicly controlled utilities in advancing green transitions. Public sector leaders play a pivotal role in shaping these transformations, yet their contributions often remain underappreciated. “Green Capacitors” presents photographic portraits of seven public managers who have been instrumental in sustainability initiatives. The portraits are developed artistically in a form of photocollage and are accompanied by narratives detailing their challenges and achievements. These visual and textual elements work together to illuminate the complexities of governance in green transitions, fostering a deeper and more personal understanding of leadership in sustainability.
This paper situates photography within the broader discourse on craft and sustainability. Like traditional craft-based practices, photography fosters an immersive engagement with its subject matter, revealing nuances that textual or quantitative analyses may overlook. Inspired by the European Union’s “New Bauhaus” initiative, which emphasizes the integration of sustainability into creative and design processes, we argue that research dissemination can similarly benefit from artistic and sensory approaches. By making complex governance processes more tangible and emotionally resonant, artistic representations bridge the gap between academic inquiry and public awareness.
Building on scholarly discussions of visual methodologies in sustainability research (Chertkovskaya et al., 2020; Konomi, 2021), this paper reflects on the impact of photography in translating research findings into accessible and compelling formats. Through an analysis of audience engagement with the photographic exhibition “Green Capacitors,” we assess how artistic dissemination strategies can shape public perceptions of sustainability governance.
This paper contributes to discussions on public administration, sustainability studies, and creative research dissemination by critically examining the role of artistic methodologies in expanding the reach and impact of academic research. We argue that photography is not merely an illustrative tool but a crucial method for amplifying the visibility and emotional depth of sustainability governance processes. By embracing new approaches to research communication, scholars can enhance societal engagement, foster deeper understanding, and inspire action toward sustainability transitions.
- Authors: Ulises Navarro, Samantha Hookway & Elena Raviola
Exploring Craft and New Technologies Through Controversy Mapping: The Case of Open Wood
Abstract
This paper examines what happens when craft making meets new technologies and the space and meaning of manual and mechanical work need to be negotiated. Drawing on the controversy mapping method, we investigate this encounter by focusing on a community of craft makers located in Dals Långed and Fengersfors, in the rural province of Dalsland in Western Sweden. This area has received consistent investment from the regional government and industry for establishing a local infrastructure for a craft-driven regional development and, recently, for renewal of traditional craft production with new technologies. In particular, the chapter investigates the project Open Wood, a publicly funded initiative to create a state-of-the-art experimental wood workshop. Open Wood operates as an innovation environment aimed at facilitating the transition towards a more sustainable furniture industry. However, the introduction of new machines and equipment for experimental wood manufacturing, as well as the question of who gets to experiment and for what purpose, generate ambivalence among craft makers working in the area. The paper thus offers a site-specific controversy analysis that sheds light on the relation between craft and new technology.