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Photos by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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Snapshots of NOMAD 2026.Two weeks have passed since the end of XTANT, the last sections of our wrap up work is near complete, and everything is once again far more quiet. As our post-event crash begins to fade and we organise the trickle of photos from our photographers, those extremely busy early May days, where we still had cool breeze and occasional rain, over the fabric canopies enshrouding Can Vivot almost feel nostalgic. Even if only due to the sudden brain fog, courtesy of Spain’s own sweltering heat. For those five days, between the thick walls of the ancient palace, the grandest version of our exhibition played out, all corners of the space laid out with an overwhelming amount of beautiful craft, an atmosphere of celebration, and thankfully no last minute breakdowns. Needless to say we’re very happy with how it all turned out and, ironically, can only stop and appreciate that after it’s all over and done with. But we can only look back for so long before we move on to bigger and future things: So, before we put this ‘NOMAD 2026’ business behind us, we wanted to share a final look back, through the eyes of our artists’ and broader community:
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Morayo Osse in front of artwork by Eric Boehm
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Canopy by Pol Taylor and Ana Lamata using some @buttonmasala
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NOMAD 2026 was our largest event yet, drawing 88 or so different artists from all across the world and, despite all hiccups related to travel in those weeks, a level of visitors even larger than last year’s. Very gratifying to see that world map slowly but surely fill in countries that we hadn’t been able to get. And, hopefully if we are able to, we’ll continue to find more artists to represent the many artisan and textile practices across the content of africa and south east asia generally. Among our invitees for NOMAD 2026’s Leadership programme, and within the market at Can Vivot was Oroma Cookey-Gam of THIS IS US, A Nigerian fashion and lifestyle brand who joined us for the very first time. So, to not put words in anyone’s mouth:
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Oroma Cookey-Gam by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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“Being a part of the XTANT Programme has meant more to me than I could ever have imagined. I first heard about XTANT through a mutual friend of Kavita and I, Christina, who has volunteered with the programme for four years now. At the time, I didn’t know her very well, but every time she spoke about XTANT, she kept returning to the words “feeling” and “community.” |
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When we spoke, I sensed such a deep commitment and gratitude towards the programme that I knew it could only come from something truly meaningful. That alone made me want to experience it for myself. Kavita and I later scheduled a call and spoke for about thirty minutes. Speaking to her drew me in even further. She described a leadership programme that sounded more like a dream than reality. Even though both my personal and work calendars were incredibly full during that season, something in me felt strongly that I needed to take a chance on it. So I applied, and the rest is history. As a leadership programme, XTANT could have been anything. It could have been all conversation and no action. Instead, I found its model and approach to be a profound departure from so much of what currently exists in the world.
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The programme’s focus on mind-body-spirit harmony was perhaps the aspect I least expected, yet one of the most rewarding. As a Christian, I initially felt slightly uncomfortable stepping into what felt like unfamiliar terrain. But it did not take long for me to trust both the process and the people. Once I did, the experience became deeply cleansing, grounding, and freeing. […] I also did not realize how badly I needed to play, craft, and allow my creative energy to flow again. Work has become so systematic and time-bound that I had lost touch with true playfulness in my world. The programme has left me thinking deeply about how we can reincorporate play into both our family and business culture, because play is often where creativity is born. I thoroughly enjoyed the access we had to companies doing inspiring work within the Mallorcan space - Fabrica Ramis, Sonmo, Celler Tonet, and Cortana - as well as the conversations with people living successful lives in harmony with nature, including Ien, Stuart, and Giñtarė.
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Wara_Japan at Can Vivot by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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More than anything, in a world that often makes me feel unreasonable for wanting to prioritize nature and people over money, XTANT made me feel seen. Beyond expanding my network, the programme connected me to people from around the world who think the way I do, value the same things I value, and, most importantly, dream of the kind of future I want to be a part of. I am immensely grateful to Kavita and the entire XTANT team for pouring so much time, care, and heart into creating such a meaningful programme, and to the scholarship partners for giving me the opportunity to be a part of it. Warmest regards, Oroma,”
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Photo of AGAVE by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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Photo of Sabrina Stadlober’s work by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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Seven years into the project, putting XTANT together has become an overall smoother experience. Established on the island as it now is, we no longer are in a frantic rush to find workshop spaces or someone to help with our lighting and installation, freeing us up to put our all into and further curate the exhibition/market square. Hitting a tentative 90 people might have had us reaching for the limits of what can be hosted in the patios and rooms of Can Vivot, but it’s because of this density that the event has never before felt so thematically unified.
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Aurore Pelisson at Can Vivot
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A collection of a hundred different colours and another hundred styles and techniques, but all blended together so seamlessly that at a glance they could all seem to come from the same old market. It’s those links between far-flung artists that are built within XTANT for which the project exists at all. |
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Artisan craft can be lonely work. Climbing uphill in an environment that disincentives non-industrial, ‘un-scalable’ production, in far smaller circles than its peers in industry and with, slowly growing, but still far less understanding from the general public than its counterparts. Scattered across vast continents and often confined to small rural communities, it can very easily feel as though artisan craft: In fashion, in interior design, or in any other discipline is just a novelty item; existing solely for narrow edge-cases, or those rich enough to care. But when you’re surrounded by this worlds’ worth of beauty, by this small army of artists that gathers and grows with each passing year, and when the palace itself overflows with thousands of visitors, some having made the flight exclusively for the event, that sense of unease can’t help but feel silly. XTANT marks its seventh year as a great success. An oasis of optimism for a tough year. And, with that said: Let’s march on onto the eighth!
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Jennifer Ipekel & Kirit Chitara by @leyre.lopezdelapaz
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