Over 800 objects made by more than 400 artisans from 70 countries representing 105 professions: these are the numbers from Homo Faber, the biennial exhibition that once again brought together the best of the sector in Venice. Alberto Cavalli, executive director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, the event organizer, shared the details with us

The 2024 edition of Homo Faber, scheduled to take place at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini until September 30, is inspired by the journey of human life. Amazing handcrafted objects evoke the different chapters of existence, composing an exhibition story developed around ten themes by the artistic directors Luca Guadagnino and Nicolò Rosmarini. We talked about it with Alberto Cavalli in this interview.

The 2024 edition of Homo Faber offers up a journey through the stages of human existence. What motivated this choice and how did you structure the exhibition narrative?
The third edition of Homo Faber is dedicated to the theme of the journey of life, seen through the prism of creative artisans: the ability to create meaningful objects, which often combine a practical purpose with significant symbolic value, is intertwined with the fabric of our existence, helping to make all precious and unforgettable moments special. That is the vision that inspired Hanneli Rupert, Executive Vice President of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, the institution I founded with Johann Rupert, and which organizes Homo Faber. A story densely interwoven with objects and gestures, picturesque evocations and surprises unfolds among the cloisters, gardens and spaces of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini. In short, an ideal journey through human life, divided into ten themes and as many exhibition spaces, to explore the place of craftsmanship in both the most important moments and in the simplest and most everyday ones.

What are the objects and techniques of high craftsmanship that best symbolize the themes being examined?
Artisans are driven by passion, supported by talent, enlivened by beauty. And above all, intrigued by life and its ineffable, arcane changes, which can only be showcased through powerful distillations. In order to transfer all these human and technical qualities of the creative artisans into a coherent and surprising project, Hanneli Rupert entrusted the artistic direction of this edition of Homo Faber to Luca Guadagnino, who together with the architect Nicolò Rosmarini worked just as a craftsman would have worked a precious piece of ivory, a rare stone, an exotic wood: with an approach that evokes nova ac vetera, to tell of a journey – that of life – that unites all dreams and celebrates all destinies. In each room, within the iconic installations designed by the artistic directors, carefully selected objects are presented: over 800 works from 70 different countries. To which are added the artisans who, seated at work, demonstrate their techniques and their mastery. It’s not possible to summarize objects or techniques: Homo Faber must be experienced as a total, holistic celebration of human talent.

The connection between Homo Faber and Venice is strengthened by the Homo Faber in Città programme. What does it consist of and what are the initiative’s goals?
Venice, the symbol par excellence of a fragile and powerful beauty, once again welcomes this celebration of human talent, magnifying it with its “serenissima” and centuries-old lesson: only that which enchants lasts, only that which is made with love seduces, only that which has meaning is truly beautiful. Like a tailor-made gesture, which the craftsman makes not because he is forced, but because he knows that the most beautiful moments in life are celebrated this way: with the human connection that can only come from meaning, from creation, from energy that first is thought and then electricity. This year, Venice is even more of a protagonist thanks to Homo Faber in Città: a special programme, thanks to which participants can visit 70 artisan workshops in Venice, Murano and Burano, following the directions and itineraries of the Homo Faber Guide, downloadable for free as an app. We thought it was an interesting way to allow not just tourists, but also Venetians to re-examine their city through the prism of creative artisans, discovering workshops that are perhaps young, or unexpected.

What was the outcome of the first edition of Homo Faber Fellowship, which involved master craftsmen and young talents?
Homo Faber Fellowship is a project that allows dozens of young artisans to work side by side with a master craftsman: the Michelangelo Foundation, also thanks to the support of Jaeger-LeCoultre, covers all the costs. The internship lasts six months, and is preceded by a month-long masterclass provided by ESSEC in Paris. The first edition had extremely positive results: almost all the apprentices continued their collaboration, or opened their own atelier. For the second edition, 25 internships will be funded in 10 European countries.

In your opinion, what is – or should be – the role of crafts today?
To remind us all that the secret to well-being lies in doing things well: doing well to be well, as St Francis taught.

Interview by Arianna Testino

BIO
Alberto Cavalli is general director of the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’arte in Milan. As a journalist, he collaborates regularly with numerous magazines. Since 2007, at the Fondazione Cologni, he has been planning and overseeing a series of initiatives linked to the world of the Mestieri d’Arte d’eccellenza. He has published numerous articles and volumes on this subject. Since 2014, he has been a lecturer in Mestieri d’arte e bellezza italiana at the Politecnico di Milano. In 2016 he became executive director of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship.

INFO
Homo Faber
until 30 September 2024
FONDAZIONE GIORGIO CINI
Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice
https://2024.homofaber.com

Cover photo: Hypno Chief Mask, OLK Manufactory. Manufacture Alexandre Vazquez © Michelangelo Foundation