- Sara K Arnold
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Community Spotlight
Mallorcan Threads
How artisans reshape heritage in a changing world
by Sophie Gonzalez Monseu
Video and Photos by Immo Klink
In 2018, Belgian anthropologist David Berliner, through his book Perdre sa Culture, invited us to reflect on the stigma of the "uniformisation of cultures" under the weight of globalisation. He proposed looking beyond the alleged loss of cultures to understand each cultural transformation through a local, situated lens, driven at least partly by the internal will of local populations. This reflection does not erase the damage of neo-colonisation, globalisation, and capitalism but urges us to analyse each situation in its specificity. It calls on us to consider each indigenous group in its complexity and individuality—not as passive victims but as empowered actors navigating between injustices suffered and affirmations of resistance.
When questioning the impact of mass tourism on communities such as those on the island of Mallorca, it is essential to remember that local populations are neither helpless nor devoid of resources in addressing the environmental, housing, or cultural challenges they face. Local culture, far from being lost, evolves and transforms.
Mallorcan Landscape
Thus, addressing the "Balearisation"* or the supposed disappearance of culture in the face of mass tourism requires nuance. Certainly, the influx of tourists who perceive the island as merely a seaside paradise has devastating consequences on the environment and local economy. However, the local culture, taking new forms, is not in a position of submission to these external influences. Through deeply rooted artisanal practices adapted to contemporary challenges, local artisans reaffirm Mallorcan identity. They do not merely preserve traditions; they reinvent a future for their island. Their work is not just ecological or economic resistance but also a form of resistance rooted in identity.
In October 2024, OC.M met with four artisan communities in Mallorca, as part of a commitment to highlighting local, ethical, and sustainable practices that challenge capitalist and growth-driven models in the fashion industry.
By engaging closely with the community, we deepened our understanding of the importance of accepting individuals as they are, without imposing urban or external perspectives. Many rural artisans in Mallorca maintain locally rooted and influenced visions that resist global trends. By embracing these authentic perspectives, we grasped the richness of community connection, which often flourishes among those who share a cultural or environmental grounding.
Rediscovering Mallorcan Identity Through Ikat Weaving with Feel Mallorca
Yasmin Rodríguez Rus (left) and Hannah Evans wear clothes from Feel Mallorca
Joana and Cinzia of Feel Mallorca embody this spirit of resistance. They are a link between Mallorcan textile craftsmanship and the island’s youth. Collaborating with the workshops of Teixits Vicens, Teixits Riera, and Bujosa, they perpetuate the art of Ikat weaving, a technique originating from Asia that traveled the Silk Road before settling on the island. For these creators, identity is found in continuity, in roots, in history, but above all, in the present. As they emphasise, "feeling Mallorca" means reconnecting with this culture shaped by multiple influences and understanding the island in its contemporary identity. Their hope? That young Mallorcans reclaim these ancestral patterns and proudly wear this heritage in their own way.
Joana Borras and Cinzia Bertocci, founders of Feel Mallorca
This cultural resistance goes beyond mere nostalgia: it is grounded in a deep awareness of contemporary issues and rejects the simplistic dichotomy between tradition and modernity.
Through their work, Joana and Cinzia redefine "acculturation" as a dynamic of reinvention, not dilution, where traditions transform to adapt without losing their essence.
Antic Mallorca: Braiding as Collective Resistance
At the Antic Mallorca workshop, another form of resistance takes shape. Araceli, Antonella, and their students gather around Llata, a braiding of palm leaves passed down by the women of Capdepera. This collective, slow, and meticulous work celebrates the strength of community bonds. Each woman perfects a specific step of the braiding – a practice that intertwines stories as much as palm leaves.
An Antic Mallorca workshop
Here, artisanal production is as a response to globalisation's effects, which fragments communities and weakens local resources. In this exclusively female space, these women create a safe environment free from interruptions and judgments, where shared stories explore their identities and experiences. Know-how passed down through generations finds new resonance.
Araceli Iranzo, founder of Antic Mallorca (left) and a workshop attendee (right)
The collective creation strengthens their self-confidence and sense of belonging. It is a way to reclaim traditions, to subtly challenge imposed norms while weaving a network of solidarity among craftswomen. This mutual support, inherent to the creative act, illustrates a form of empowerment that extends beyond the workshop: it is a concrete response to the erasures of feminine knowledge in historical narratives.
In a context of growing ecological awareness, artisanal initiatives like Antic Mallorca show that traditions can be preserved in harmony with nature and local values. These craftswomen remind us that Mallorca is more than a mere tourist backdrop; it is a land where the past is honoured to redefine the future.
Tatiana Sarasa’s Open Studio: Creativity Against Individualism
In the fishermen’s area of Palma, Tatiana Sarasa embodies another facet of this resistance: the artisan's role in engaging with those unversed in its themes.
Tatiana Sarasa, founder of Open Studio, wears Celia Ingesson
Her workshop, Open Studio, is a space for experimentation where every texture, every creation, is designed to touch and engage. According to her, creation is a process of connection and transmission, of sharing in its purest essence through generosity. She shares her learnings and experiences from workshops that shaped her skills, viewing her knowledge not as a closely guarded secret but as a shared treasure. By valuing each step of the creative process, beginning with learning, Tatiana reminds us that true craftsmanship thrives on interaction, transmission, and sharing.
Tatiana Sarasa wears Celia Ingesson
In this place where poetry and installations, alchemy and textures coexist, with her workshop on a street corner, craftsmanship is conceived as a quest for an identity free from the pressures of globalisation and an act of resistance to hyper-individualism. By inviting visitors to discover the depth of each creation and emphasising the process over the result, Tatiana strives to convey that Mallorca is a living, rich territory, as is its craftsmanship.
Leela Romeo and the Resilience of Local Materials
In her open-air workshop in Mallorca’s pine forests, creator Leela Romeo breathes new life into local materials.
For her, craftsmanship is a laboratory where she explores and reinvents the island’s resources. Each Desanuda Fiber Lab collection is a form of resistance and community engagement, expressing her personal emotions, often shaped by local issues, through an almost alchemical process.
Listening to her words, one can sense the pain of a community that struggles with access to housing and is forced to consider leaving the island due to exorbitant property prices driven by foreign buyers. Simply by existing as a local contemporary craftswoman and artist selling her work to Mallorca’s visitors and hotels, she raises awareness beyond the community.
Leela’s creative lab, celebrating autonomy and ecology, is a symbol of resilience against globalisation's pressures. Leela and other Mallorcan artisans use their craftsmanship and local materials to affirm their identity and sovereignty over their land.
Towards a New Image of Mallorca: Between Resistance and Reinvention
In Mallorca, we met local ambassadors of sustainable change—people deeply connected to traditional textile practices and to the challenges of globalisation.
On- and off-camera conversations often touched on the effects of mass tourism, unaffordable real estate, and ecological upheavals on local communities. For these artisans, their work in textiles is both a livelihood and an act of cultural and environmental resilience.
Hannah Evans wear clothes from Feel Mallorca
They remind us of the positive impact tourists can have (through mindful travel) if they rethink their journey, supporting rather than merely consuming local resources. With Mallorca facing a 20% accelerated climate change due to tourism pressure, sustainable craftsmanship becomes a form of activism.
In Mallorca, these artisans and creators are reinventing their culture, redefining the island’s image. The “Balearisation,”* symbolising the destruction of local culture for tourism’s sake, is disproven by a generation seeking to reinvent their heritage to meet contemporary needs. They demonstrate that culture is alive, constantly evolving, and that it can grow stronger by integrating influences, addressing inequalities, and respecting local roots.
Through their creations, these Mallorcan artisans remind us that Mallorca is far more than just a vacation destination. It is a land of traditions, transmission, and reinvention; a land of daily lives beyond an endless summer; a land, too, of all four seasons.
By organising to preserve heritage while reinventing it, they invite everyone to discover the island in a new light—a land where the past dialogues with the future, where craftsmanship becomes an act of resistance and a commitment to a sustainable, resilient Mallorca.
*"Balerisation" refers to the process transforming areas to cater to mass tourism, marked by rapid, often unplanned urban growth, shifting land use, and large-scale tourist infrastructure. The term originated in the Balearic Islands, which include Mallorca, and highlights how tourism reshapes landscapes—creating environmental pressures, commercialising public spaces, and sparking conflicts over land use and access through privatisation.
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