The Best of European Craftsmanship Showcased at Homo Faber ⇒ The Homo Faber cultural exhibition, created by a hand-picked team of world-class designers, curators and architects, open doors of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, an international cultural centre which lays claim to most of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. The Best of European Craftsmanship at Sala degli Arazzi showcases the most iconic examples of the finest workmanship from Europe.

Each exceptional object has been conceived and made by a single creative talent who draws on the traditional techniques and materials of their homeland to create contemporary works. An incredible journey through culture, heritage, landscapes, and history of the continent.

Bringing together two renowned names of the design and architecture worlds, Jean Blanchaert and Stefano Boeri team up to conceive one of the largest room that becomes a journey into the heart of Europe’s finest craftsmanship, complete with master artist-artisans at work. The gallerist, curator and art critic, Jean Blanchaert has been working in contact with contemporary materials for more than 30 years; on the other hand, Stefano Boeri is an Italian architect and urban planner.

“Talk to Me” series is composed of seven silver and mixed metal vessels with a patinated finish, stand on stainless steel stilts. Adi Torch from the United Kingdom proposes a playful interpretation of museum displays. The metalwork references ancient pots and amphorae supported by metal tripods. However, unlike the robust museum stands, these series of vessels on stilts communicates gestures and fragility.

A powerful bouquet of once beautiful purple and white flowers made from lampworked Murano glass stands wilted and rotting, falling over the edge of a colourless glass vase conceived by Lilla Tabasso and courtesy of Galleria Caterina Tognon.

A journey through craftsmanship around Europe, from silver in Switzerland to glass in Germany, paper in Denmark, ceramics in Portugal and porcelain in Poland. Discover the larger-than-life flowers made by a sculptor in the Netherlands who is inspired by the paintings of a 17th-century Dutch artist. Witness the contemporary lampworking sculptures of a master artisan born and bred on the famous glassmaking island of Murano.

Vitor Agostinho, ceramicist, and Samuel Reis, designer, team up to create the Cerne Mutante, a hand-blown glass sculpture with printed textures surface sits next to its mould, a hollow tree trunk. The wooden mould was divided into several horizontal layers in such a way that the shape of each glass piece differs according to the manner in which the mould has been assembled.

A contemporary dreamy combination hanging from the ceiling, on the left crystal paper jellyfishes from the French artist Geraldine Gonzalez; and on the right, the golden mirror made from the intricate filigree jewellery technique, courtesy of Boca do Lobo, Portugal.

Geraldine Gonzalez is a paper sculpture artist and created this fresh group of white crystal paper jellyfish hang from the ceiling as if swimming freely in the air.

Usually used to create small jewellery pieces, the Filigree technique is now surprisingly conceived with sculptural dimension, challenging the delicate skill into a mirror of contemporary design. A masterpiece from Portugal and courtesy of Boca do Lobo.

Conceived by the artisan José-Luis Bazán, the surface of this large polychrome leather bowl been embossed on natural rock with techniques of bio-embossing. The leatherwork of this exceptional objet resembles that of a meteor or porous rock. An elegant objet from Spain.

Visitors wandering through The Best of European Craftsmanship dream-like room are able to appreciate the exquisite objects specially curated for the event and testify the skill of master artisans in real time. The Homo Faber cultural event aims to put fine craftsmanship on the global map and increase recognition and visibility for master artisans, by bringing together a vast range of materials and disciplines.

Sandra Davolio is the ceramicist whose series of juxtaposed fragile and jagged lamellae spiral down and around a central cylinder shaped hand-turned porcelain vessel.

The paper sculpture Arlette Vermeiren Zucoli created this hanging structure from an assembly of recycled materials mounted on tensed steel wires. The different amount of papers, the artisan creates a contrast between the manner in which the work is suspended, the length and its width, as well as colour contrasts, conceiving transparency and luminosity. Stunning ceramic sculpture by Andrea Salvatori of Michelangelo’s iconic David’s head with a small porcelain woman has taken shelter inside.

Martin Frost is one of the artisans performing fore-edge painting technique at the Best of Europe room. This is an ancient technique of producing images on the edge of books in such a way that they are not instantly visible. A time-consuming technique that is typically finished with the book’s edge being gilded, hiding the picture.

Caruma Vases are exceptional objects conceived by Eneida Tavares from Portugal. The works are created by combining two materials and techniques, earthenware and basketry. To create the earthenware segment it is used a slip casting technique and the spiral coiling technique for the basketwork. Courtesy of VICARA design.

A remarkable piece from Germany, Gabriele Küstner, that elevates the glass fusing technique. Different diameter glass rods were fused together, creating a honeycomb design on the surface of the plate. Painted glass canes of different diameters are cut into segments. They are then fused together and the surface is treated with diamond and stone wheels.

Sculptural furniture and functional artworks, the Bloom! screen was created from hand-cast clear resins and acrylics, encapsulating foraged flora and organics to create highly unusual one-off contemporary pieces. Sasha Sykes is the artist behind this piece that carries 50 types of flora within, including ginko, delphinium, hydrangeas, astrantia, echinops, eryngium, roses and grasses.

Elisa Strozyk is a textile designer and she is showing live her wooden textiles which as the wood as a primary material, a rather unconventional choice for this line of work.

Homo Faber is the first major cultural exhibition dedicated to the very best in European craftsmanship. Organised by the Michelangelo Foundation, it aims to put fine craftsmanship on the global map and increase recognition and visibility for master artisans. The exhibition will bring together a vast range of materials and disciplines, from jewellery to bespoke bicycles, from the rarest artisanal techniques to some of the most iconic examples of the finest European workmanship. Created by a hand-picked team of world-class designers, curators and architects, the exhibition stretches over a number of magnificent spaces throughout the Fondazione Giorgio Cini.

Source: Brhands Foundation

See Also: Covet International Awards Announces Its First Edition

See Also: Get To Know Homo Faber 2018 Young Ambassadors

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