IronNotes & The European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art in Stia
4.-7.9.2025
The European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art in Stia, founded in 1976, is the oldest international event dedicated to wrought iron. It brings together master blacksmiths and young artisans from around the world, celebrating tradition, innovation, and design in the art of fabrication.
The event features competitions that showcase skill, creativity, and modern interpretations of ancient techniques, providing a platform for artisans, designers, and artists to engage and display their talents. As part of this event, the Iron Notes project presented a special exhibition and organized an international conference on September 5, 2025.
The Program
Read more about the program
As part of the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art, the Iron Notes project organised an international conference titled Forging European Dialogues: Metal Art Between Memory, Space and Society. The event gathered experts, artists, and researchers to discuss the role of metal in public art, collective memory, and spatial experience.
The programme featured three presentations by project partners and associated professionals:
- University of Gothenburg, HDK–Valand, Campus Steneby Academy of Art and Design: Heiner Zimmermann, Professor of Metal Art – “Grave Markers – a Frontier for Blacksmith?”
- LAB University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Design and Fine Arts: Sampo Malin, Lecturer & Sculptor – “The Impact of Public Art: Lessons Learned from Engaging Processes”
- ME-talli Oy: Antti Nieminen & Jouko Nieminen – “ME-talli’s Role Consulting Other Arts and Architecture”
The event served as a platform for dialogue between academic, artistic, and professional perspectives on metal art’s societal relevance. It strengthened cooperation among project partners and contributed to the dissemination and visibility of the Iron Notes project within the framework of the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art.
International Conference – Forging European Dialogues: Metal Art Between Memory, Space and Society
Date: September 5, 2025 | 16:00–18:00
Location: Salone Lombard, Lanificio di Stia, Pratovecchio Stia (AR), Italy
Three thought-provoking presentations set the stage for dialogue between academic, artistic, and professional perspectives: Heiner Zimmermann, University of Gothenburg “Grave Markers – a Frontier for Blacksmith?”, Sampo Malin, LAB University of Applied Sciences – “The Impact of Public Art: Lessons Learned from Engaging Processes” and Antti Nieminen & Jouko Nieminen, ME-talli Oy – “ME-talli’s Role Consulting Other Arts and Architecture” shared their wide perspectives on the topics. Both, the exhibition and conference, strengthened collaboration among project partners and enhanced the visibility of Iron Notes within the Biennial framework.
Recordings
IronNotes Seminar Recordings – Full Playlist of Talks on YouTube
Iron Notes Summer Camp 2025 – NextGen Blacksmith
Dates: September 6–10, 2025
Location: S.T.I.A. Academy – School Training Iron & Arts, Stia, Italy
Following the conference, the Iron Notes Summer Camp 2025 – NextGen Blacksmith brought together 17 students and 3 teachers from Estonia, Sweden, Norway, and Finland for an intensive professional training programme. The residential camp, organised under the Erasmus+ framework and supported by the Tuscany Region, provided participants with hands-on workshops, mentoring by master blacksmiths Roberto Magni and Martino Stenico, and opportunities to exchange ideas and techniques.
Read more about the event
Through practical sessions and collaborative learning, participants explored traditional and contemporary forging methods and discussed the role of wrought iron as a creative and cultural medium. The Summer Camp was officially inaugurated at the historic Lanificio di Stia and held in connection with the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art.
To extend the dialogue beyond the event, an online platform — Iron Notes Blacksmithing & Metal Art Community on Facebook — was established to foster ongoing exchange among blacksmiths, artists, students, and researchers across Europe. The initiative aims to build a sustainable professional network that promotes cross-border collaboration in metal art and related creative sectors.
The Iron Notes project is co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe programme and coordinated by LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland) in collaboration with partners from the Estonian Academy of Arts (Estonia), European Biennial of Blacksmith Art (Italy), Oslo National Academy of the Arts (Norway), University of Gothenburg (Sweden), and ME-talli Oy (Finland).
The European Biennial of Blacksmithing Art in Stia, active since 1976, is the oldest international event dedicated to wrought iron. A point of reference for masters and young blacksmiths from all over the world, it combines tradition, innovation and design, enhancing the art of fabrication and the Casentino territory.
Biennale Arte Fabbrile, Blog
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IronNotes Exhibition part of the European Biennial of Blacksmith Art
Within the historic vaulted hall of the wool mill in Stia, known as “Lanificio – spazio vuoto incubatore di idee” (Wool Mill – empty space incubator of ideas), a special IronNotes exhibition stood out as a unique and independent part of the larger Biennial display. This dedicated space offered a platform for creativity and dialogue and featured contributions from professionals from partner organizations, students, and alumni of partner schools, resulting in a multidimensional showcase of exceptional quality. The works demonstrated not only high-level design and aesthetic vision but also high technical skills, reflecting the expertise of Nordic art universities.
Explore images of the exhibited works in our gallery!
>> Gallery
The European Biennial of Fabricated Art in Stia offers a series of competitions that celebrate skill, creativity and innovation in the art of wrought iron and related disciplines. These competitions provide a unique opportunity for artisans, designers and artists to engage with each other, express their talents and contribute to the enhancement of ancient traditions through contemporary interpretations.
The Biennale’s official website
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