Es Devlin leads the artistic direction of the high craftsmanship biennial on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, bringing together hundreds of master artisans and craft artists from around the world
Light as a narrative material, a scenic element and a metaphor for human talent. This is the theme at the heart of Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light, the fourth edition of the international biennial dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship, taking place from 1 to 30 September in the spaces of Fondazione Giorgio Cini, on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Promoted by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, the organisation behind the Homo Faber cultural movement dedicated to celebrating creative craftsmanship around the world, the event brings together the work of hundreds of master artisans and craft artists from dozens of countries.
A Great Turning - Homo Faber 2026@Es Devlin
The artistic direction is entrusted to Es Devlin, the British artist and designer known for her immersive installations and projects created for cultural institutions and international events. For this edition, she has conceived a journey that highlights, both literally and metaphorically, the skills and creativity of artisans selected from around the world. Light, a central element of her practice, becomes the guiding thread of a narrative unfolding throughout the monumental spaces of the Venetian island. Conceived by Devlin, the exhibition unfolds across 15 exhibition environments. The experience begins with A Language of Hands, which recreates the atmosphere of an artisan workshop, and continues with An Index of Artisans, a gallery of portraits dedicated to the men and women who created the works on display. In An Alphabet of Objects, more than one hundred examples of fine craftsmanship are transformed into luminous silhouettes projected into space, composing a kind of imaginary alphabet made of forms, shadows and matter.
The relationship between craftsmanship and nature emerges throughout several chapters of the exhibition. A Library of Lungs connects artisanal practice to the four elements, while A Full Moon Rising places vessels and moon jars inspired by water at its centre, transforming the former Gandini swimming pool into an evocative landscape where light and reflections interact. In A Rooted Ascent, the protagonists are wood and woven natural materials, with artisans working live.
The participatory dimension finds its most direct expression in An Atelier Alive, an open workshop where masters of ceramics, glass, metal, textiles and many other disciplines share techniques and creative processes with visitors. It is a way of bringing new audiences closer to the art of making while encouraging dialogue among professionals from different crafts.
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The Day of Bending and Burning Wood - Kim Yoonbae Artisan ©All rights reserved
Venice itself becomes a source of inspiration for numerous installations. An Infinite Birdsong evokes the city’s nocturnal atmosphere through birds and insects handcrafted in a variety of materials, while A Great Turning uses water, mirrors and light to reinterpret the geometry of the Palladian cloister. In the Ambulatory of the Palladian Refectory, A Luminous Ark presents a series of paper sculptures dedicated to Venetian wildlife, accompanied by a participatory origami workshop.
The journey continues in the Palladian Refectory with A Feast of Light, an installation gathering white objects in porcelain, glass, textile and paper around a large illuminated table, and goes on with A Rainbow of Forms, where light breaks into a multitude of colours through works made of plastic, enamel, resin and glass. Before reaching the Borges Labyrinth, which concludes the route, visitors pass through the Cypress Cloister, where Twenty Silent Songs is displayed, a collective work bringing together the creations of twenty master artisans and ateliers from five continents.
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A sinistra, Large charred ash dune vessel_Oliver Chalk Artisan ©All rights reserved - A destra, Hyungho Jeon Artisan ©All rights reserved
Visitors will also be accompanied by 90 Young Ambassadors from leading design and applied arts schools around the world. Alongside the installations, Homo Faber 2026 offers participatory workshops, personalised gastronomic experiences and the return of Homo Faber in the City. Among the key participants is Casa Sanlorenzo, which will host two collateral exhibitions dedicated respectively to master artisans from Venice and the Veneto region and to a selection of artisans from Luxembourg. Throughout September, visitors will also be able to explore Venetian workshops featured in the Homo Faber Guide and take part in a city-wide programme of events and exhibitions.
Tag: Venezia Biennale di Venezia Design collectible Craftsmanship
© Fuorisalone.it — All rights reserved. — Published on 15 June 2026
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