Homo Faber 2026: a story told through five projects

Homo Faber returns to light up the scene on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. And this year, the effect seems even more striking thanks to the theme guiding this fourth edition: ‘An Island of Light’. It is, in fact, a narrative that weaves together light, materials, talent and creativity, coming to life amongst the magnificent halls and gardens of the Giorgio Cini Foundation – organiser of the event alongside the Cologni Foundation for the Arts and Crafts, curated by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship. Artistic director Es Devlin – a British artist and designer whose long career has also included theatre set designs, Olympic ceremonies and monumental sculptures for concerts – has organised over 700 works across 15 installations, each characterised by interplays of light, water, reflections, movement and sound, with the aim of engaging the public and immersing them in the world of the arts and crafts. ‘My aim is to offer a new perspective,’ explains Es Devlin. ‘For me, it is important that visitors to Homo Faber 2026 can enjoy an experience through which they can explore the origins of objects, the hands that made them, and the situations and places in which they were created.’ This is the purpose of Homo Faber: a space in which to explore the arts and crafts, learn their language and be inspired by the creativity of making. “In an age where technology is capable of generating images, synthesising voices and reproducing forms with astonishing results, many are rediscovering the pleasure of authenticity and deeper values,” comments Hanneli Rupert, executive vice-president of the Michelangelo Foundation. “We are constantly searching for the human touch: traces of individuality, imperfection, skill and awareness.”

Here, then, are over 500 craftspeople from all over the world, each a guardian of ancient techniques and knowledge, reinterpreted in a variety of forms that blend tradition, innovation, contemporary art and experimentalism, to explore the full potential of materials and ‘hands-on’ craftsmanship. Alongside the exhibition at San Giorgio Maggiore, the experience extends across the lagoon with ‘Homo Faber in Città’, a series of events and exhibitions showcasing the city’s rich heritage of craftsmanship; part of the project is Casa Sanlorenzo, which opens with a series of two exhibitions curated by Sanlorenzo Arts; ‘Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest’, which recreates the imaginary home of a discerning collector, where furniture, lighting, decorative objects and works of art by over 40 Italian artisans blend into a domestic narrative; and ‘Fiat Lux’ by De Mains De Maîtres Luxembourg, an exhibition bringing together over 60 objects created by some of Luxembourg’s finest artisans. At the same time, 130 artisan workshops across the city of Venice will be open to the public free of charge throughout the month of September.