Photograph by @engelengele

DANIEL COSTA

Daniel runs his atelier from the steep cliffs of Sud-Tirol, a small German speaking region of Alpine Italy.

Amidst beautiful vistas, extremely cold breezes, and within a long austere building that a community of artists, artisans and craftspeople have made home.

A building that, to our best knowledge, was once also a detention centre of Mussolini’s Italy.

There we go, that’s the headline.

Joking, obviously. But despite the sinister origins of the once abandoned building, Daniel and the artists there have turned it into a beautiful gallery of ateliers.

Taking views and sights that would’ve otherwise been left to decay and turning them into brightly lit and homely workspaces.

Everything else there is theirs. The power set up, the wiring for the lighting and even some of the prettiest walls and partitions.

To peel back the ironic detachment for a moment, this space does a lot more than host workshops, and its there that you can find what makes it a kindred spirit of XTANT.

It is a center of the community. Everything from commissions for the small town it services, to tours or apprenticeships given to students who go to the nearby school, to even small details, like a sleek set up for a trust bar built near the entrance.

We are aware that it can sound paradoxical in how we preach closer attention to the local and traditional practices, whilst being an unambiguously global event.

There is maybe some truth to that. But a goal of the program, something that’s been there from the jump, was the hope to create more environments similar to what this community in Schlanders has accomplished.

I mean, with the global internet as it is, instead of getting the same seven to twenty brands’ Italy branch, wouldn’t you prefer to personally commission an artist or artisan from that same country?

These communities, strengthen and support each other. Give alternatives to people that they would have never considered and keep practices alive and well.

Coming from a city, that’s a downright enviable situation. We’ve seen far too many wonderful specialty shops close down here in Madrid and, without strong social fabrics like these, that will only continue.

Photograph by Juliette Chrétien

Any-who, bit of a downer topic. But his work sure isn’t!

His catalog documenting these past few years looks like a museum booklet. Amazingly photographed — beautiful compositions with works ranging from bespoke cashmere blankets, to analog photography, to mesmerising and prettily designed furniture.

If luck has it we’ll get permission to use some images from the digital catalog. Seriously, it is that good.

This year, as with all past editions, Daniel will be joining us. And, in addition to bringing a selection of his textile pieces, he will be coming to share his insight and stories in one of the event’s many talks.

Photograph by Juliette Chrétien

History is a murky subject. All the more so in Europe. One could look around them and convincingly feel that almost everything is ‘tainted’ in some way.

Whether or not that’s true, whether or not one should even feel that way, that is not a reason to look away.

It is in reimaginings like this. In the turning of a center of oppression into a center of expression that we can best come to terms with and understand our past.

Follow him on Instagram!