The amateur & the professional  

We are excited to have some of the most celebrated maestros come to attend this third edition of XTANT in Mallorca this June. They have all generously agreed to participate in Workshops to share their knowhow and experience with our community. 

To ensure that the offer takes into account the desire of the  passionate amateurs and the needs of skilled professionals we have carefully designed different modules that cater to both.   

The classes have no more than 13 students each to be able to give ample space and time for a real learning experience. We have partnered with our dear friend Tatiana Sarasa, an extraordinary visual artist and the founder of OPEN STUDIO 79,  as she shares our vision of building a new narrative by bringing together. “People that share with generosity their knowledge and that have the gift to inspire.”

The studio is a beautiful space carefully crafted by her in the very cosmopolitan neighborhood of Santa Catalina in the city of Palma, Mallorca - Spain.

Open Studio 79 

Carrer de Sant Magí 79 , 07013 Palma

 @buttonmasala by Anuj Sharma

No machine, no tools, no wastage moto, designer Anuj Sharma has reinvented himself as an educator sharing his signature fashion technique of creating garments using only buttons fastened with nylon rubber bands. All you need is three meters of fabric and reams of patience to learn how something as simple as a cleverly placed button could recalibrate our perception of fashion, from static machine-stitched apparel to dynamic and form shifting garments. 

Each workshop starts with a dialogue on the philosophy of design and the relation of clothes to the human body, followed by a presentation and a demonstration. 

Anuj has conducted over 600 workshops across the globe, having taught about 25,000 people the Button Masala technique.

Button Masala’s simple grid system can be a solution to fast fashion, encouraging creativity in the customer, reducing wastage, over production and over stocking, bringing down costs of production, thus being truly sustainable.

In the beginner course you will learn the basic technique and be able to make a simple garment using the technique. 

Wednesday 8th 16:00 to 19:00 h

The two day professional workshop focus on teaching more complex and varied different construction techniques. 

Friday 10th and Saturday 11th 10:00 to 13:00 h

 Basketry weaving with Maestro Carlos Fontales

A fascinating basketry weaving workshop using  natural fibers with Carlos Fontales, one of the most important experts in basketry in the country with several books published, many courses taught and many interesting pieces to his credit aimed at the creation of site-specific projects in different spaces of medium or large dimensions. Contrary to what is usual in design processes, Fontales proposes a free transit, from the emotion of the encounter with new techniques and materials, towards unforeseen results, discovered on the fly aimed at making people aware of and teaching people how to make things with vegetable fibers, not so much with the pretense that they can dedicate themselves to this activity in a professional manner, but rather for the fact that they know and enjoy making a basket or any other object in order to use it for whatever”

Tuesday 14th June 10:00 to 13:00 h

Wednesday 15th June 10:00 to 13:00h

 Tie Dye Shibori by Master Abdullah Khatri  

Bandhani is derived from the Sanskrit word “Bandha” meaning “to tie”. It is a traditional dyeing method indigenous to the states of Gujrat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The fabric is tied very tightly plucking tiny pinches of the fabric by fingernails to create floral or figurative designs and then dye them into natural dye colours.

. The tied parts retain their original colour and the remaining portion of the fabric results with colourful patterns. This is similar to the shibori technique of Japan. There are various methods of tie dye and each process results in a unique pattern. 

In the one day workshop you will learn the basic technique and be able to make one pattern with it. 

Thursday 9th 16:00 to 19:00 h

In the two day professional course you will learn many patterns of tie dye on 2 mts fabric and be able to make 1 stole / scarf using any of the 10 patterns

Friday 10th and Saturday 11th 16:00 to 19:00 h

 Kutch weaving & spinning with Maestro Shamji Vankar  

Bhujodi is home to the illustrious Shamji Vankar Vishram Valji who carries on the legacy of his father, Vankar Vishram Valji who was felicitated with the National Award in 1974 for his exemplary work in Dhabla weaving. Shamji bhai who is himself an innovative weaver and an early adopter of kala cotton, oversees Vankar Vishram Valji Weaving, a multigenerational craft initiative for weaving and dyeing of fabrics, shawls and stoles furnishings and durrie (rugs) in cotton and desi oon (indigenous wool) that employs around 90 families.

Shamji Bhai will be teaching a workshop in traditional bhujodi spinning and weaving, something truly magical and meditative that Mahatma Gandhi had all Indian freedom fighters adopt as part of their daily pratice. 

We have an advanced workshop for weavers who want to learn from these traditional methods. 

Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th 16:00 to 19:00 h

 Coil Basketry with Valeria Castellet

This workshop taught by Valeria Castellet is a wonderful combination of basketry and botany. During this course you will learn about the coiling technique as well as which plants to use, how to find them and the treatment they need in order to be made into fibers ready for weaving.

The basic principle of coil basketry is a very simple one, one long fibre is wrapped around other fibres and stitched in place to create coils. This technique will be developed in a practical way through the realization of a small piece. You will also work with some plants (Phormium, palm tree, banana, lilies, etc) turning them into vegetable fiber which you will then use for weaving your own basket.

In the one day workshop you will learn the basic technique of coil basketry

Tuesday  7th June 10:00 to 13:00 h

 Weaving with Pep Toni Ferrer

Pep Toni Ferrer is a Master craftsman specialising in Llata /Dwarf Palma weaving that is a fibre tradition kept alive mostly by women in Mallorca.

During this workshop he will be taking the students through the entire process, from harvest through the drying and whitening of the leaves to the braiding techniques practised in different parts of the island.

Wednesday  8th June 10:00 to 13:00 h

Monday 13th June 10:00 to 13:00 h