Homo Faber: Craftsmanship in Venice in a New Light

‘Rockstars’. That is how Es Devlin, artistic director of Homo Faber 2026, describes the 500 craftspeople from 70 countries who, from 1 to 30 September, will showcase contemporary craftsmanship through a selection of 700 objects. Whilst for the British artist and designer the masters of craft are the true protagonists of the fourth edition of the Venice Biennale – curated by the Michelangelo Foundation and organised in partnership with the Giorgio Cini Foundation and the Cologni Foundation for the Arts and Crafts – she is undoubtedly its frontwoman: the conductor of this great international ensemble, a diverse group which she guides with confidence through a narrative that, as is often the case in her work, becomes a collective endeavour.

Entitled ‘An Island of Light’, Devlin guides the audience on an immersive journey through 15 installations in which light, shadows, sounds and his voice constantly hold the visitor’s attention, evoking the very same magic with which the artist has amazed audiences around the world: from kinetic stage designs for theatres such as La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera to concerts by Beyoncé and U2, right through to the Super Bowl half-time show and the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games.

The first exhibition space, “A Language of Hands”, is certainly theatrical, where the artistic director recreates the atmosphere of artisan workshops at the end of a working day. A still image that conveys the quality of the time the masters devote to their creations. A photographic gallery then presents Homo Faber’s “rock stars”, introducing visitors to “An Alphabet of Objects”, the exhibition space in which Es Devlin uses light and shadow to reveal the shapes of the objects (over a hundred) arranged on a kinetic bookcase that projects their silhouettes onto the walls – an invitation to observe the shadows and to interpret the objects themselves as if they were words of a universal language, a Platonic cave in which the pieces reflect all the hues of the Earth. ‘I want to ground this exhibition in the planet from which every material originates,’ explains Devlin, ‘starting with the choice of the objects’ colours – the blacks, earth tones, oxides and reds that evoke the earliest graffiti created by humankind.’

The artist thus takes us to the Moon with the installation “A Full Moon Rising”, in one of the most spectacular spaces at the Cini Foundation: the former Gandini swimming pool, which opened in 1962. Rising from a metaphorical sea is a semi-circular structure housing a selection of moon jars, traditional Korean vessels used for storing and transporting water. The jars, reinterpreted by artists and craftspeople, are arranged to reflect the shades of water, from the deep blue of the ocean depths to the white of the sea foam. Once again, it is the ensemble that speaks, allowing the individuality of the pieces to take a back seat in favour of the collective emotion.

It is easier to focus on individual objects in the following rooms. “Rooted Ascent” pays homage to organic materials created by sunlight, to creations made from wood or natural materials such as wicker, willow and rush, with pieces ranging from Andrea Mancuso’s Silva chair to Dolce&Gabbana’s rattan bustier. “An Atelier Alive” showcases master craftsmen who, in rotation, demonstrate and explain their savoir-faire, enriching the bookcase lining the walls with their creations day after day. With “An Infinite Birdsong”, Es Devlin returns to a recurring theme in her work: the environment and biodiversity. Here, the enchantment is linked to the air, the element on which birds and insects depend; these are crafted from glass, porcelain and paper, and made precious by the interpretations of goldsmiths and master craftsmen from the most prestigious fashion houses.