From Jewelry to bespoke design, homo faber is exhibiting the finest of European craftsmanship with the aim of ‘ crafting a more human future’ as well being a celebration of artisanal excellence. it aims to increase the recognition for master artisans and inspire interest in their skills and talents. as such, the major exhibition is one-of-a-kind and demonstrated first-hand the incredible skills that machines cannot better.
The main entrance of the Best Europe room at Homo Faber event, an immersive experience through the excellence of craftsmanship in Europe.
Homo faber is an expression that was first coined during the renaissance and it captures and celebrates the infinite creativity of human beings,‘ johann rupert, co-founder of the michelangelo foundation, says. ‘the exhibit provides a panoramic view of european fine craftsmanship but nevertheless have a singular undercurrent: what human beings can do better than machines.’
View of the Best Of Europe at Sala degli Arazzi in Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, for the Homo Faber exhibition© Fred Merz
Homo Faber offers a truly immersive experience, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see the skilled work of craftsmen and women first-hand. showcasing the close relationship between artisans and their materials, and encouraging interaction between maker and customer, the exhibition is a celebration of the power and value of real human engagement.
The path of the room resembles a journey through Europe. The room was designed by the Architect Stefano Boeri, and the curator of the exceptional objects is the gallerist Jean Blanchaert.
Each exceptional object has been conceived and made by a single creative talent who draws on the traditional techniques and materials of their homeland to create contemporary works. At Homo Faber, an incredible journey through culture, heritage, landscapes, and history of the continent takes place.
Homo Faber brought together two renowned names of the design and architecture worlds, Jean Blanchaert and Stefano Boeri team up to conceive one of the largest room that becomes a journey into the heart of Europe’s finest craftsmanship, complete with master artist-artisans at work. The gallerist, curator and art critic, Jean Blanchaert has been working in contact with contemporary materials for more than 30 years; on the other hand, Stefano Boeri is an Italian architect and urban planner.
“Talk to Me” series is composed by seven silver and mixed metal vessels with a patinated finish, stand on stainless steel stilts. Adi Torch from United Kingdom proposes a playful interpretation of museum displays.
A powerful bouquet of once beautiful purple and white flowers made from lampworked Murano glass stands wilted and rotting, falling over the edge of a colorless glass vase conceived by Lilla Tabasso and courtesy of Galleria Caterina Tognon.
Vitor Agostinho, ceramicist, and Samuel Reis, designer, team up to create the Cerne Mutante, a hand-blown glass sculpture with printed textures surface sits next to its mould, a hollow tree trunk.
A contemporary dreamy combination hanging from the ceiling, on the left crystal paper jellyfishes from the french artist Geraldine Gonzalez; and on the right, the golden mirror made from the intricate filigree jewelry technique, courtesy of Boca do Lobo, Portugal.
Usually used to create small jewelry pieces, the Filigree technique is now surprisingly conceived with sculptural dimension, challenging the delicate skill into a mirror of contemporary design. A masterpiece from Portugal and courtesy of Boca do Lobo in an exhibition at Homo Faber.
Conceived by the artisan José-Luis Bazán, the surface of this large polychrome leather bowl in exhibition at Homo Faber has been embossed on a natural rock with techniques of bio-embossing.
Stunning ceramic sculpture by Andrea Salvatori of the Michelangelo’s iconic David’s head with a small porcelain woman has taken shelter inside.
Sculptural furniture and functional artworks, the Bloom! screen was created from hand-cast clear resins and acrylics, encapsulating foraged flora and organics to create highly unusual one-off contemporary pieces. Sasha Sykes is the artist behind this piece that carries 50 types of flora within, including ginko, delphinium, hydrangeas, astrantia, echinops, eryngium, roses and grasses.
