‘Expoartesanias 2025’: A Fair Showcasing the Diversity of Colombia and Latin America

Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, has been transformed since last December 5 into a crucible of colors, textures, and knowledge with the opening of the 35th edition of “Expoartesanias,” Latin America’s most important craft fair, which runs through Thursday, December 18, at the Corferias exhibition center.

This event, organized by Artesanías de Colombia and Corferias, brings together more than a thousand exhibitors from all regions of the country, as well as international delegations, who through their handmade pieces invite visitors to explore a cultural map that goes far beyond a simple commercial showcase.

The fair is not only a major window for artisanal talent, but also a space where tradition, innovation, and collective memory converge. Each craft on display is the result of generations of techniques, stories, and territories that engage in dialogue with the visiting public. The opening of this 2025 edition has been experienced as an act of celebration of cultural diversity and a recognition of the work of artisan communities that, through their pieces, weave the very identity of the country.

‘Expoartesanias’ 2025: a fair showcasing the diversity of Colombia and Latin America

Touring “Expoartesanías 2025” is embarking on a journey through Colombia’s different regions without leaving a single venue. Spread across several pavilions, exhibitors showcase everything from traditional crafts to contemporary proposals, jewelry, design, regional cuisine, and ethnic pieces that reflect the cultural richness of each region.

Pavilion 1, for example, brings together contemporary crafts and traditional bites, while Pavilion 3 features displays of traditional and ethnic handicrafts. Other spaces include Pavilion 5, which highlights Diseño Colombia, and Pavilion 8, where a wide range of jewelry and costume jewelry expressions are on display.

The fair is conceived both as a commercial space and as a platform for exchange among creators, buyers, and the general public interested in material culture. Handicrafts, beyond their aesthetic or functional value, are testimonies to shared histories and ancestral practices that, in many cases, have been passed down from generation to generation.

Expoartesanías also offers complementary activities, such as live craft demonstrations, where visitors can watch artisans work using traditional techniques of weaving, ceramics, and natural fiber craftsmanship, among others.

More than a fair: identity, sustainability, and cultural dialogue

“Expoartesanías” is not limited to the exhibition of handmade products; it is a space for cultural dialogue that seeks to position craftsmanship as an essential pillar of national identity and a driver of local economies. In a context where public policies are being promoted to ensure the sustainability of the craft sector, the fair presents itself as a key showcase to foster sustainability, fair trade, and responsible productive practices.

In this edition, various initiatives have highlighted the importance of projecting traditional crafts into broader national and international markets, without losing sight of the preservation of ancestral knowledge.

International participation has also become a distinctive element of “Expoartesanías“, enabling the exchange of experiences and styles among artisans from different countries. This dialogue with other craft traditions enriches the cultural offering and broadens the spectrum of creative expressions that the public can appreciate. In this way, the fair establishes itself as a global meeting point where diversity and human creativity are celebrated, transcending cultural and geographic borders.

In addition to the static displays, the agenda includes talks and outreach spaces aimed at delving into topics such as cultural memory, the sustainability of crafts, and innovation in artisanal design. These activities offer visitors an opportunity to understand not only the final product, but also the processes, meanings, and contexts surrounding each piece.

Business matchmaking sessions, meanwhile, facilitate meetings among specialized buyers, designers, gallery owners, and sector brands, strengthening commercial opportunities for exhibitors and consolidating the fair’s role as an economic engine for artisan communities.

Experiences and moments at the fair

“Expoartesanías 2025” offers a wealth of experiences that make a visit much more than a shopping trip. The fair atmosphere is rounded out with cultural activities, artistic performances, and special events, such as fashion shows inspired by different territories and culinary offerings that allow attendees to sample local flavors. The fair thus becomes a meeting point where culture is experienced with all the senses, inviting visitors to rediscover roots and the value of handmade work.

During these days—and until next Thursday—thousands of visitors have the opportunity to appreciate emblematic pieces that reveal the unique characteristics of each territory, from Indigenous textiles to contemporary creations that reinterpret ancestral techniques through a modern lens.

This mosaic of artistic expressions not only showcases Colombia’s cultural diversity, but also reinforces the role of craftsmanship as a bridge between past and present, in a country—and a region—where the construction of identity remains an ongoing task.

After more than three decades, “Expoartesanías 2025” is shaping up as a celebration of creativity, memory, and collective work, reaffirming its place as an essential cultural event on the country’s artistic calendar. Through December 18, Corferias becomes the stage where the artisanal legacy is honored and proudly projected into the future.