From Venice to Florence, September is the month of events dedicated to the beauty of high craftsmanship
On 1 September, the third edition of "Homo Faber" returns to the Lagoon, with 400 craftsmen from all over the world, while in Florence from 13 to 15 the 30th anniversary of "Artigianato e Palazzo" will be celebrated in the Giardino Corsini
3' min read
3' min read
From Venice to Florence, September seems to have been elected the "month of high craftsmanship", Italian but not only. On Saturday 1 September itself, in fact, the third edition of the biennial event dedicated to contemporary high craftsmanship "Homo Faber: The Journey of Life", which since its launch in 2018 has become a rich and sophisticated event, a must for fans of the culture of beauty and human creativity, will return to the lagoon. The event will be held until 30 September on the customary island of San Giorgio Maggiore, home of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, and will host more than 400 artisans from more than 70 countries, scouted and selected by the Michelangelo Foundation, the event's organising body, founded by Johann Rupert, chairman of the Richemont Group, and Franco Cologni, founder of the Fondazione Cologni per i Mestieri d'Arte.
The artistic direction of Homo Faber 2024 is entrusted to Luca Guadagnino who, together with the architect Nicolò Rosmarini, explores and develops the theme of "The Journey of Life", the brainchild of Hanneli Rupert, vice-president of the Michelangelo Foundation. New this year is the opportunity for visitors to experience first-hand the savoir-faire with workshops related to papermaking, with the support of Venetian craftsmen: with Leonardo Frigo one can make a small paper globe, while with the Antica Legatoria Ofer team one can learn a special binding technique. Also linked to the artisan culture are the taste experiences, such as the special menus offered in the La Vela restaurant of the yacht club on the island of San Giorgio, signed by star chef Salvatore Sodano of Local.
Returning after its debut in the 2022 edition is the "Homo Faber in città" programme, which allows visitors to visit the workshops of over 70 craftsmen in Venice, Murano and Burano free of charge. Also not to be missed are events such as the launch of the weekly Mickey Mouse with a story dedicated to craftsmanship, "Uncle Scrooge and the arcane craftsman" (4 September at 6 pm at the Fondaco dei Tedeschi), a visit to the Maison Margiela boutique in St. Mark's Square, where unique pieces from the Maison Margiela Objects line, created in collaboration with master lacemaker Sandra Mavaracchio of Burano, will be on display.
On the other hand, it is 30 years old "Artigianato e Palazzo", an event born in Florence in 1995 from an idea of Neri Torregiani and supported by the patronage spirit of Giorgiana Corsini, and today promoted by the Associazione Giardino Corsini, with the same goal as its origins: to preserve and promote high craftsmanship, the value of handmade products and their uniqueness to foster a future of growth also for the new generations, to bring this world closer to an increasingly wider public and to offer exhibitors opportunities for growth. The 30th anniversary edition of Artigianato e Palazzo will be held from 13 to 15 September in the Garden of Palazzo Corsini in Florence, hosting 100 new witnesses of the highest Italian and European craftsmanship tradition, suggesting market trends to visitors and concrete opportunities for new business opportunities to exhibitors.
Over the past 30 years, more than 964 Italian and foreign exhibitors for 163 crafts have been hosted in Florence: This edition's new craftsmen will include Barone Italia from Camago (Varese), who hand-creates bonsai trees and plants in brass, stainless steel, gold and silver, the ceramic objects of Roman Valter Cipriani, made using the scagliola technique; from Uzbekistan Sanjar Nazarov, a third-generation master embroiderer, will be showing strictly hand-embroidered garments - such as coats decorated and lined with velvet - as well as home textiles. Leonardo Davighi and Filippo Sanpaolesi will be back with their "Cōdiceds" jewellery, inspired by archaeology and design, and Fratelli Traversari of Florence with their precious artistic mosaics "a commesso" of semi-precious stones and inlays. Among the events scheduled, Saturday 14 September at 4.30 p.m. there will also be the presentation of the book "Il grande telaio. Storie e segreti della manifattura tessile italiana" by Chiara Beghelli (Luiss University Press). And to bring children closer to this world, the Ferragamo Foundation is organising a series of educational workshops to encourage the development of their manual skills.
