The Design & Craftsmanship Foundation, the most recent Portuguese institution to honour and promote the excellence of craftsmanship, is proud to announce the participation at the Homo Faber event, the first major cultural exhibition dedicated to European craftsmanship, organized by Michelangelo Foundation, a Swiss-based entity, next 14-30 September in Venice, at Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Boca do Lobo will be there as well, represented by its Heritage Sideboard and Filigree mirror.

Two curated pieces will be representing the best of Portugal’s legacy at Homo Faber: the filigree delicate jewelry technique with the Filigree mirror, and the renowned hand-painted tiles, called “azulejos”, with the contemporary piece Heritage sideboard. Both pieces, from the Limited Collection by Boca do Lobo, will be exhibited at the space Best of European Craftsmanship, at Sala degli Arazzi, where visitors will be able to wander through exquisite objects specifically sourced for the event and observe the skill of master artisans in real time and at close quarters.

The exhibition held at Homo Faber 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, from jewelry 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, an international cultural center which lays claim to most of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice.

Homo Faber will adorn many varied spaces, including a number of historically and architecturally significant buildings, and will fill its galleries, libraries, cloisters and even its swimming pool with exquisite pieces, innovative installations and artisans creating work on site in full view. Taking up nearly 4,000 square meters, this exhibition will be the largest ever held at the Fondazione and will offer the public the opportunity to explore a range of spaces not generally open to them.

Artisans will be present throughout the exhibition, giving visitors the opportunity to observe first-hand their skilled work in real time. An immersive experience which visitors will be able to virtually enter the ateliers of the masters, to observe first-hand their skilled work in real time and to live in the world of fine craftsmanship, a world that relies on connection: connecting the hand, head, and heart to create authentic works of lasting value.

“We chose Venice for this exhibition not only because it is a bastion of culture and a place of unequaled beauty,” Franco Cologni, Co-founder of the Michelangelo Foundation explains, “but also because Venice is today and has always been a European hub for exchange and connection internationally.” Scheduled to overlap with Venice’s acclaimed Biennale of Architecture, Homo Faber will be an important complementary offering for the world’s tastemakers and influencers.

“Homo Faber is an expression that was first coined during the Renaissance and it captures and celebrates the infinite creativity of human beings,” Johann Rupert, Co-founder of the Michelangelo Foundation, says. “The exhibit will provide a panoramic view of European fine craftsmanship but it will nevertheless have a singular undercurrent: what human beings can do better than machines.”

The Homo Faber team, which includes names such as Michele de Lucchi, Stefano Boeri, India Mahdavi, Judith Clark, Jean Blanchaert and Stefano Micelli, has come together to imbue the exhibit with untold imagination and energy. Also collaborating with the Michelangelo Foundation on this undertaking are partner organizations that share its vision including the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, the Triennale Design Museum, and the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.

Homo Faber is fuelled by a passionate belief in the power and value of real human engagement. As such, the exhibition is intended as an immersive experience – visitors will be able to speak to artisans, virtually enter the ateliers of the masters, observe conservators at work and truly immerse themselves in the world of fine craftsmanship, a world that relies on connection: connecting the hand, head and heart to create authentic works of lasting value.