ISSUES IN SAFEGUARDING HOMO FABER’S INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

This paper outlines where the protectable values of craft must be consulted in the tension that exists between the ´intangible´ creative knowledge performance and the ´tangible´ witness and memory of applied skills in form of an object. The purpose is to situate the ´act of creating´ in the context of the twenty-first century and evaluate safeguarding issues.

The crafted object made in the sense of a ´one of a kind´, stands out from mass production in a factory and is created in particular by the knowledge of processing with appropriate tools and receives its cultural character through the selection and availability of raw materials, thus the human-nature relationship of the craftsman in a specific environment.

To safeguard craft as an intangible cultural heritage, however, both ´intangible´ and ´tangible´ aspects are of significance and inseparable. Through a critical analysis of contemporary examples of documentation this paper will lead to a set of recommendations to safeguard traditional craft for future generations.