Homo Faber: 2020 Living Treasures of Europe and Japan

“Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship announces the decision to postpone to 2021 the event Homo Faber: Crafting a more human future. Living treasures of Europe and Japan.
The international cultural event dedicated to fine craftsmanship, which was planned to take place September 10 to October 11 2020 at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and was welcoming Japan as a guest of honour, will now return to Venice at a later date in 2021. This decision is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Please find more information here.

Homo Faber returns in 2020 for a second edition to celebrate the best of European and Japanese craftsmanship in the beautiful premises of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice. The month-long event will host 17 exhibitions and installations presenting the work of European master artisans and also welcoming Japan as a special guest. Exhibitions will spotlight the country’s venerated craftsmanship traditions and honour its influence on European craftsmanship. Together, the exhibitions will showcase a wide array of materials and expertise, from traditional skills in danger of being lost to the most cutting-edge contemporary techniques.

Visitors will be able to discover the excellence of European craftsmanship through a series of showcases which reveal European master artisans, their techniques, traditions, workshops, innovative methods and the creativity of their individual crafts. Spectacular exhibitions will explore the human element at the heart of fine creations, the cherished savoir-faire, the unique narratives, territorial influences, and diverse materials which enrich each masterpiece, for an authentic celebration of European exquisite artisanship.

From Europe’s treasure trove, the exhibition will broaden its horizons to explore the entwining cultural relationship between Europe and Japan. Homo Faber 2020 honours the official recognition that Japan gives to its finest masters, designating them as keepers of important intangible cultural properties. Visitors will have the possibility to see some of the magnificent objects that the Japanese masters have made – exquisite porcelain, a lacquered harp, hand-dyed kimonos and much more – as well as a photographic exhibition that shows them in their ateliers.

Homo Faber is an initiative of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, which is a Member Organisation of Europa Nostra. The 2020 edition is organised in partnership with the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte – also a Member Organisation of Europa Nostra – the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, and The Japan Foundation.

For more information about the event, please visit the official website.