Czech Arts & Crafts

We are greatly honoured that Luxembourg has chosen Czechia as the guest country for the 2025 Biennale of Arts & Crafts. 

This has evoked in us an increased sense of responsibility for presenting our selection, wherefore we have chosen an unconventional approach – to showcase  the rich Czech craft tradition in the context of contemporary art. Indeed, excellent craftsmanship is not a separate discipline, but rather a natural part of the creative process. 

The exhibition architecture, drawing only on the existing fund of the Slavonice craft workshop, where it was also produced, is in line with the theme of the biennial – unique nature. We assume responsibility and commit ourselves to limiting any unnecessary installation components. In the installation, the exhibited objects are sorted according to the natural materials: glass, wood, clay, metal and textiles. 

The selection of exhibits across materials shows that the boundary between craft and contemporary art is getting increasingly blurred in today’s world.
Craft is no longer perceived solely as a technical skill; rather, it forms part of a broader creative gesture that combines tradition, innovation, and personal expression. Each exhibited object stems from thorough knowledge of the material, hundreds of hours of concentrated work and, at the same time, the courage to transcend disciplinary categories. In an age marked by speed and overproduction, a return to craftsmanship and environmentally friendly practices represents not only an aesthetic, but also an ethical choice.

Our selection is conceived as a reminder that ‘handicraft’ is not the opposite of ‘mindcraft’. On the contrary, it is precisely manual work, a feel for materials, and an awareness of their limits and possibilities that have become a tool for re-anchoring ourselves in the midst of an accelerated world. 


– Denisa A. Šedivá & Romana Drdová, curators