Homo Faber:
Crafting a more human future
September 14–30, 2018
Fondazione Giorgio Cini
San Giorgio Maggiore Island
Venice
Italy
michelangelofoundation.org
Facebook / #HomoFaber2018
The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, a Swiss-based entity dedicated to promoting fine craftsmanship at an international level, will present the first major cultural exhibition dedicated to European craftsmanship next September in Venice.
The Foundation, set up to revitalise fine craftsmanship and launch a cultural movement advancing the values embedded in this sector, works collaboratively in a variety of ways to promote, preserve and perpetuate craftsmanship at the highest levels. As its name suggests, it also bridges the worlds of design and of craftsmanship in order to ensure the future economic viability of the latter.
September 2018 will see the Michelangelo Foundation’s unprecedented celebration of European craftsmanship showcased across the range of beautiful and surprising spaces that comprise the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, an international cultural centre which lays claim to most of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.
Homo Faber will adorn the Fondazione Giorgio Cini’s many varied spaces, including a number of historically and architecturally significant buildings, and will fill its galleries, libraries, cloisters and even its swimming pool with exquisite pieces, innovative installations and artisans creating work on site in full view. Taking up nearly 4,000 square metres, this exhibition will be the largest ever held at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and will offer the public the opportunity to explore a range of spaces not generally open to them.
Created by a hand-picked team of world-class designers, curators and architects, Homo Faber aims to put the finest artisans of Europe on centre stage while providing a unique and memorable experience for visitors. The Homo Faber team, which includes names such as Michele de Lucchi, Stefano Boeri, India Mahdavi, Judith Clark, Jean Blanchaert and Stefano Micelli, has come together to imbue the exhibit with untold imagination and energy. Also collaborating with the Michelangelo Foundation on this undertaking are partner organizations that share its vision including: the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, the Triennale Design Museum, and the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.
A huge range of materials and disciplines will be represented, from jewellery to bespoke bicycles, from skills on the brink of being lost to some of the most sought after icons associated with European style.
Homo Faber is fuelled by an ardent belief in the power and value of real human engagement. As such, the exhibition is intended as an immersive experience—visitors will be able to speak to artisans, virtually enter the ateliers of the masters, observe conservators at work and truly immerse themselves in the world of fine craftsmanship, a world that relies on connection: connecting the hand, head and heart to create authentic works of lasting value.
“We chose Venice for this exhibition not only because it is a bastion of culture and a place of unequalled beauty,” Franco Cologni, Co-founder of the Michelangelo Foundation explains, “but also because Venice is today and has always been a European hub for exchange and connection internationally.” Scheduled to overlap with Venice’s acclaimed Biennale of Architecture, Homo Faber will be an important complementary offering for the world’s tastemakers and influencers.
“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 will provide a panoramic view of European fine craftsmanship but it will nevertheless have a singular undercurrent: what human beings can do better than machines.”
For further details please contact Four Colman Getty
truda.spruyt [at] fourcommunications.com / T + 44 20 3697 4248
matt.railton [at] fourcommunications.com / T +44 20 3697 4262