Fabriano, a UNESCO Creative City, recently hosted an inspiring itinerant artist residency with French artist Benoit Hamet and Chinese artist Lin Diuhan, known as Xiaolin. This program, part of a global initiative under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, included stops in seven cities each representing a different creative cluster, including Literature, Music, Design, Gastronomy, Crafts & Folk Art, Film, and Media Arts.
The residency emphasized the role of creativity in fostering global understanding and sustainable development. In Fabriano, activities centered around the city’s rich papermaking heritage. Dr. Maura Nataloni, Councilor for Culture City of Fabriano, emphasized the importance of the project noting, “This residency bridges cultures and highlights creativity’s role in global development. We are proud to contribute to this dialogue.”
Artists Benoit and Xiaolin immersed themselves in the local culture, collaborating with artisans at the Paper and Watermark Museum and exploring key cultural sites like the Fedrigoni Archive and the “Bruno Molajoli” Civic Art Gallery. Benoit commented on the city’s inspirational environment, and Xiaolin reflected on the profound impact of his interactions with the community.
The residency reinforced Fabriano’s international cultural status and set the stage for future projects promoting peace, creativity, and sustainable development. The experiences from Fabriano will be featured in a report at the Annual World Conference of UNESCO Creative Cities in Braga, Portugal, showcasing the power of cultural exchange and creativity in communal and global advancements.