“Women, Territory and Popular Art”: seminar on the craft of “Puntaires”

On Friday 27 February 2026, the Research Group on Geography and Gender organised the seminar “Women, Territory and Popular Art. Lace-makers’ associations as a model for the preservation of Catalan culture”, delivered by Dr Beatriz Navarrete. The session took place in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at the UAB.

The lecture explored lace-making as a form of situated knowledge, deeply connected to landscape, geography and the cultural conditions that shape the imaginaries and techniques specific to the places where it is practiced. Dr Navarrete highlighted the intergenerational transmission of this knowledge, traditionally among women, which involves not only complex technical skills but also a particular way of being in and interpreting the world.

The seminar also emphasised the fundamental role of associations in preserving and transmitting popular culture in Catalonia, showing how these practices help sustain cultural heritage and collective imaginaries. The session opened a space for discussion on the relationships between gender, territory and culture, in line with the research group’s aim of promoting critical and interdisciplinary perspectives in geography.