Homo Faber 2022 – Porcelain Virtuosity exhibtion – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo. All photos: ©Michelangelo Foundation.

Crafts, design – Until May 1, the second edition of the Homo Faber event invites visitors to get closer to contemporary craftsmanship with a collection of immersive exhibitions and live participatory experiences at the Island of San Giorgio and in the streets of Venice.

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Fondazione Giorgio Cini @ San Giorgio Maggiore Island.

The main exhibition at Fondazione Giorgio Cini [h. 11 am-6 pm, Map] is divided into 15 thematic chapters. Each one focuses on a particular art – from floral design to homeware, paper, ceramics, theatre and fashion – and is imagined by international designers, architects and curators. Homo Faber is a Geneva-based Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship project.

12 Stone Garden exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

Italian design studio Zanellato/Bortotto and the metalwork experts at De Castelli involved makers in developing a series of intricate mosaic panels made from copper, brass and steel. The pieces were inspired by the fragile floors of the city’s Basilica di San Marco. Under the name Tracing Venice, the kaleidoscopic collection will go on sale to raise money to restore the Basilica’s mosaics, which are eroded by time, flooding and tourism.

Tracing Venice exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

Stefano Boeri teamed up with gallery owner Jean Blanchaert to create the Next of Europe contemporary cabinet de curiosités showcasing cross-generational collaborations between master artisans and rising talents. Passing skills down the generations is also the key theme of the Mechanical Marvels exhibition, where ECAL students teamed up with masters in horology and automata in Switzerland.

Next of Europe exhibition – Photo by Lola Moser.

Homo Faber 2022 focuses on Japan. In the Fondazione Cini’s central cloister, Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi presents the Ateliers of Wonder photo essay portraying the ateliers of 12 Japanese Living National Treasures. Their work – spanning from kimonos to an Urushi lacquer harp – is on display in the following 12 Stone Garden exhibition envisioned by Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa.

The Ateliers of Wonders exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

With Waiting with peace and darkness, visual artist Robert Wilson transformed a former 1960’s pool into a black and white set featuring Japanese-inspired furniture and costumes made for his theatrical production of Puccini’s opera Madama Butterfly.

Waiting with Peace and Darkness exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

Curated by David Caméo and Frédéric Bodet, the Porcelain Virtuosity exhibition showcases the know-how and creativity behind contemporary porcelain sculptures and objects from Europe and Japan. On display are pieces by esteemed manufacturers and Maisons, as well as works by independent master artisans.

‘Guan Yin in a Sky of Saucers’ by Bouke de Vries @ the Porcelain Virtuosity exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

British curator Tapiwa Matsinde presents The Artisan: a handmade tea room, a bohemian interior where to sit, relax and enjoy a cup of tea surrounded by fine furniture, tabletop games and bespoke tableware and homeware. Michele De Lucchi and his studio AMDL CIRCLE presents Magnae Chartae, an exhibition dedicated to fine paper processing.

The Artisan, A Crafted Tea Room exhibition – Photo by Lola Moser.

With Pattern of Crafts, German designer Sebastian Herkner invited makers from Europe to reimagine the mosaics outside the nearby Basilica di San Giorgio as designs for use in interiors made from marble, mosaic, wood inlay, textiles, and other techniques.

Pattern of Crafts exhibition – Photo by Simone Padovani.

Conceived by the French scenographer and interior designer Sylvain Roca, the Blossoming Beauty exhibition evokes a fairy tale garden. Here, glassmakers from leading Venetian glass manufacturer Venini collaborated with international flower designers on a collection of vases and bespoke bouquets.

Blossoming Beauty exhibition – Photo by Lola Moser.

Fashion exhibition designer and curator Judith Clark illuminates the human craftsmanship skills and traditions behind precious objects created by 15 world-renowned luxury Maisons making fine watches and jewelry, bags, haute couture, kimonos, perfumes and more.

Magnae Chartae exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

Beyond the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, visitors to the Homo Faber Event can also explore artisanal workshops throughout Venice through self-guided, tailored itineraries as part of Homo Faber in Città.

Mechanical Marvels exhibition – Photo by Alessandra Chemollo.

All photos: courtesy of Homo Faber.

The Artisan, A Crafted Tea Room exhibition – Photo by Lola Moser.

Blossoming Beauty exhibition – Photo by Marco Bucco.