The becoming of heritage crafts: controversies in the preservation and reproduction of Venice’s gondolas

This paper investigates how heritage craft is in a state of becoming due to multiple, competing actions that constantly make and remake it. This study draws from both the sociology of translation and the pragmatic sociology of critique, with the aim of analyzing the translations in heritage crafts and the critical actions that actors undertake to justify or criticize such translations. Venice’s traditional gondola, and the controversial introduction of marine plywood in its production, is used as a case to study how the concept of heritage craft is disputed and evolved between tradition and innovation. The study contributes to the literature on traditional and heritage crafts in three ways. First, it shows that actors’ attempts to define traditional or heritage crafts are not necessarily conclusive, as there might be competing definitions that circulate, generating disputes. Such disputes attract and engage more actors, bring about more translations, and therefore contribute to the continuous becoming of heritage craft. Second, the paper brings back to the discourse on traditional craft, which is too often centered on the meanings and their intangible value, the importance and political relevance of materiality. Finally, the paper shows that when dealing with heritage craft, actors engage in a moral debate about the definition and implication of culture, which elevates the tension between innovation and tradition to a higher level, showing the centrality of actors’ critical ability and the complexity of moral valuations.