The 13th Edition of Expoartesano La Memoria 2022 Arrives: An Encounter With the Tradition and Knowledge of Colombian Artisans

The country’s second most important commercial showcase for the artisanal sector will be held at Plaza Mayor in Medellín from Friday, September 9, to Sunday, September 18, featuring nearly 300 ethnic, traditional, and contemporary artisans.

Expoartesano La Memoria 2022 returns. This great cultural fair highlights craftsmanship and the work of thousands of Colombians dedicated to this trade across all regions of the country. Thousands of visitors will gather at the Plaza Mayor convention center to welcome the artisans and celebrate an encounter with our legacy alongside them. This will be a unique opportunity to interact with the representatives of a tradition that remains alive in our region.

The event will run from Friday, September 9, starting at noon, until Sunday, September 18, closing at 8:00 p.m. Approximately 20,000 visitors are expected to arrive at Plaza Mayor, where artisans await to showcase and sell the pieces they have crafted with care and dedication over recent months. For these creators, this is one of the most important commercial showcases of the year.

“This edition of Expoartesano La Memoria will be a gathering to celebrate knowledge, creativity, talent, culture, and tradition. We want to pay a festive tribute to this resilient and valuable sector, which speaks to us of the variety of symbolisms, territories, and raw materials that make up Colombia and make it unique. After a few hard years of the pandemic, and having advanced in economic recovery, it is time to say: long live the artisans! Long live the crafts!” noted Manuela Montoya, Deputy Manager of Promotion and Commercial Opportunities at Artesanías de Colombia.

The daily entrance fee for the fair is 20,000 pesos, and a multi-day pass covering the ten days of the event is available for 40,000 pesos. Children under 12 enter for free. Visitors can check the box office for special discounts for Comfama members, Somos EPM cardholders, and affiliates of other entities. The fair’s regular hours will be from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., except for opening day, when doors will open to the public at noon.

“After two very complex years for the country’s artisans, Artesanías de Colombia, Plaza Mayor Medellín, and our region in general, it is very gratifying to announce that the events agenda for the rest of this year is fully recharged. This time, it is the turn of Expoartesano La Memoria 2022, an in-person edition that celebrates the ancestral techniques that dress our venues in color, life, charm, and emotion. For the Heart of Medellín, it is deeply satisfying to open the doors to a fair that allows us to continue boosting the economic development of our city and region. We look forward to seeing you at our venues so that, together, we can celebrate our country’s legacy!” stated the General Manager of Plaza Mayor, Víctor Hugo Zapata Madrigal.

Economic Impact

The previous edition, Expoartesano 2021, brought highly positive news for the sector. The 2.29 billion pesos in sales exceeded pre-event expectations, and the record of 18,173 visitors surpassed anticipated turnout, demonstrating the event’s tremendous reception among the public.

For the 13th edition, the expectation is for artisans to reach 3 billion pesos in sales—revenue that will positively impact their quality of life, as well as that of their families and communities.

This year, as in 2021, artisans will exhibit their work in two formats: in person at Plaza Mayor Medellín, which is ready to welcome visitors without any entry restrictions, and online at www.expoartesano.com.co, where they can be contacted directly to showcase their work and sell their creations.

On this virtual platform, users from anywhere in Colombia will find the artisans’ contact information, allowing them to reach out directly via WhatsApp to place orders.

What to See at Expoartesano La Memoria 2022

Thanks to the partnership between Plaza Mayor Medellín and Artesanías de Colombia, this year’s fair will feature nearly 300 ethnic, traditional (or rural), and contemporary artisans. They will be divided into two main areas:

• The White Pavilion (La Memoria): Showcasing ethnic crafts from 29 of the country’s indigenous groups.
• The Yellow Pavilion (Testimonio y Evolución): Featuring traditional crafts from all Colombian regions, contemporary home decor, musical instruments, and children’s items, as well as jewelry, accessories, and apparel.

The Main Hall will host the cultural zone “The Clay Has a Voice” (El barro tiene voz), a museographic exhibition curated by the Museum of Antioquia, where craftsmanship, pottery, and ceramics will take center stage. This exhibit will include a digital and audiovisual component, allowing visitors to enjoy an immersive experience and learn the history behind each piece.

Additionally, the terrace area will offer a wide gastronomic selection, featuring typical traditional dishes and snacks from different regions. This includes ancestral preparations made from corn, chocolate, and cacao, among multiple savory and sweet options. Artistic performances by various groups and collectives will also take place in this area, livening up the days for visitors.

Cultural Agenda (Voices: The 2022 Celebration)

At Expoartesano 2022, we are taking over every corner of Plaza Mayor with live craft demonstrations, artistic expressions, knowledge-sharing talks, fashion exhibitions, home decor showcases, and much more. Check out our agenda on social media and follow us at @expoartesano on Instagram and Expoartesano on Facebook.

This shared knowledge space, created by Artesanías de Colombia and located in the Main Hall, aims to engage the public in conversations with artisans and professionals from various related disciplines. These include graphic, industrial, fashion, and jewelry designers, as well as anthropologists, sociologists, communicators, statisticians, and marketing and sales specialists.

Every day, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., we will feature blocks with the following content:

• Shared Knowledge and Craft Demonstrations (“Celebrating Knowledge and Trades”): Craftsmanship is a celebration. Seeing how it is done live and in person is a unique experience.
• On-Stage Talents: Tones and Heartbeats (“Celebrating Talents”): We will celebrate the artisans with music, dance, and talent, showcasing cultural trades that inspire artisanal work.
• Design, Fashion, Decor, and Tableware (“Celebrating Creativity”): Craftsmanship is an unwritten tale, a story that is told and repeated, renewed and changed. Like history, the narrative is sustained over time and reinterpreted to produce new possible futures. Tradition and innovation find imperfect balances that enable creativity.
• Traditional Kitchens and Gastronomy: Showcasing the knowledge and flavor of their territories to inspire artisanal labor and magnify tradition.

The event is organized by Artesanías de Colombia and Plaza Mayor Medellín, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Medellín (District of Science, Technology, and Innovation) and the Government of Antioquia. It is supported by EPM, Celsia, Fundación Fraternidad Medellín, MUV, Sura, DaviPlata, Comfama, and Avianca. Bancolombia and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) are also participating.