Five Creatives Keeping South Tyrol’s Sensitive Spirit Of Invention Alive

A border bridge between north and south, Italy’s northernmost province South Tyrol is a land of astounding natural beauty. Multilingual and multicultural by nature, it is also a place of endless possibilities—here, the Italian cheerful spirit and the German precision and rigor live side by side, lending the region a richness and special feel for innovation. Over time, the region has fostered a thriving economy and grown a landscape of small creative enterprises. From handcrafted objects to major buildings and forward-thinking designs, South Tyrolean creatives marry modernity, tradition, and a profound knowledge of the environment and its resources.
Sharing a special connection to their homeland, all talents forge their own path in and outside of their ‘heimat’

As the COVID-19 outbreak has shaken up the world, the South Tyrol’s creative industry has slowed, with businesses shutting their doors, travel and events being canceled, and projects grinding to a halt. But that doesn’t mean creativity had to stop. We reached out to five local artists and designers who, much like everyone else, have adapted to the “new normal” as best as possible, using creativity as their vehicle of expression. Sharing a special connection to their homeland, which they celebrate fondly in their respective practices, all talents forge their own path in and outside of their ‘heimat’.

A german word translating to ‘homeland’, heimat is a contentious concept, which refers not only to an inhabited space but also to a place with emotional ties of belonging—both a form of identity construction and a pluralistic collective construction in constant process of reinvention, grounded in forms of cooperation and cohabitation.The illustrations blend unique perspectives into a potent narrative of pluralistic place Making a continuous effort to preserve their region as a place that is ecologically conscious, aesthetically exciting, and mentally stimulating—a heimat for future generations—the five creatives foster forms of place-making, home, and local identity, meticulously shaped through creativity. In this, they reinforce the idea of heimat as both a feeling of rootedness to the landscape and a collective condition altered by kinds of personal and creative development—South Tyrol as a place to live, create, and share.

We asked illustrator Andres Suárez to portray the individuals in settings that depict their creative practice alongside buildings and landmarks of the region. Bringing South Tyrol to the spotlight, Suarez’s images harness the creative power of diversity; and, alongside the talents’ own thoughts, they blend unique perspectives into a potent narrative of pluralistic place.