Paraćin Glassmaking in Brussels at the New European Bauhaus Festival

11.06.2026. The “Creative Glass of Serbia” initiative has garnered significant attention from the European public in Brussels. Through a video game, the initiative demonstrated the digital learning of heritage crafts, showing how glass waste can be transformed into entirely new value using traditional glassmaking techniques from Paraćin.

The century-old tradition of glassmaking in Paraćin was successfully showcased in Brussels at the prestigious New European Bauhaus Festival. The third edition of the event, organized by the European Commission, was officially opened by its President, Ursula von der Leyen, who stated that the festival represents a “collective effort to shape a more sustainable, inclusive, and aesthetically appealing future tailored to people’s needs.”

Among the select European innovators and over 77 participants from across the continent, Paraćin’s “Creative Glass of Serbia” initiative drew substantial international attention. Through a unique pop-up exhibition at the Brussels Museum of Art and History, the initiative demonstrated how Paraćin’s rich industrial glassmaking heritage can be transformed into a sustainable future through the principles of the circular economy.

In addition to reviving forgotten techniques and turning glass waste into aesthetic and environmental value, the initiative also made a technological leap forward in Brussels. The beta version of the first “serious game” designed for the digital learning of heritage glass crafts was unveiled. It was develope by project Glassmaking tradition meets innovation co-funding by European Union. Operating as a virtual simulator, the game allows players to learn precise and complex glassmaking techniques, such as etching and guilloché, through interactive steps. It will give a new generation of designers and artists the opportunity to interpret Paraćin’s glassmaking art in a thoroughly contemporary way.

“By connecting traditional glassmaking techniques like etching and guilloché with an eco-friendly approach to glass and digital tools, we have shown how a local community can offer solutions that lie at the very heart of the New European Bauhaus,” noted Dr. Hristina Mikić, Director of the Creative Glass of Serbia initiative. “The European audience responded with great enthusiasm to the fact that gaming technologies can be utilized to preserve glass crafts that are slowly disappearing.”

The Brussels festival runs from June 9 to 12, bringing together leading creators, activists, and innovators who are demonstrating how to redefine cohabitation in Europe through four programmatic pillars: Forum, Fair, Fest, and Satellite Events.