Through a sensory journey that begins in the fabulous Borges Labyrinth, the visitor has the opportunity to step into the set of a universal film, where the beauty of objects crafted by artisan hands becomes the protagonist of human life.
Nothing is as naturally simple and magically complex as life, and it is precisely in the balance between natural simplicity and refined complexity that the excellence of contemporary craftsmanship, selected for the 2024 edition of Homo Faber, emerges. Presented by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship until September 30 at the Giorgio Cini Foundation, the exhibition bears the epic title The Journey of Life. It stems from the curatorial vision of Michelangelo Foundation Vice President, Hanneli Rupert, and is set up according to the imaginative vision of director Luca Guadagnino and his right-hand man, Nicolò Rosmarini. Together, they aim to convey to the public how craftsmanship plays a central and defining role in the extraordinary journey of each human life.
Through a sensory journey that begins in the fabulous Borges Labyrinth and unfolds across ten inevitable stages—from birth to love, to the end of life and the afterlife—the visitor has the chance to step onto the set of a universal film where the beauty of objects created by artisan hands becomes the protagonist of human life.
Spellbound by the magical power of the exhibition, which is designed in dialogue with the extraordinary genius loci of the island of San Giorgio and enhanced by mirrors scattered throughout the path, visitors are continually surprised by the unprecedented layers of heterogeneous images composed of 800 stunning artifacts by 400 artisans from 70 countries around the world. Framed by the grand lines of the architecture of the Cini Foundation’s monumental complex and the organic forms of the human-shaped natural landscape, visitors enter the heart of the exhibition as actors in this true journey through the long course of life.
In Birth, the first stage set in the conventual space of the Cloister of the Cypresses, the inevitable confrontation with fate takes the metaphorical form of the ancient Game of the Goose, recreated here in twenty refined triptychs of panels embroidered by hands from 20 different traditions. This collective work of art, designed by artist Nigel Peake, offers the visitor an experience of sensory rebirth. The senses themselves are the protagonists of the next stage, dedicated to Childhood, with a selection of toys and heirlooms for children from around the world, bearing witness to the universality of wonder and amazement that handmade objects, created for the growth of all, evoke in both humans and visitors.
Through a magical forest of papier-mâché cypresses and magnolias, conceived by the fairytale creativity of artist Nigel Peake, one enters the grand space of the Palladian Refectory, entirely designed by the Guadagnino-Rosmarini duo to host a majestic ode to the art of dining. With a spectacular mise en place of exquisite objects for use and table decoration, where silver, ceramics, crystal, and porcelain crafted by expert hands and renowned houses shine, the dream of every mortal comes to life in celebration of the rituals of festivity and hospitality. The presence of artisans at work in the vestibule brings the visitor into the heart of manual skill, which is the true protagonist of this celebration.
The heritage of creativity passed down from father to son in artisan culture is a value to be preserved on the journey of life, as highlighted in the video installation dedicated to family artisanal trades projected in the Hall of Photographs. This installation dialogues with images of the restoration of the Giorgio Cini Foundation, a meeting point of cultures and visions in Venice, a place of humanistic research and the dissemination of knowledge.
The universal experience of Love is the focus of the next two stages of life. The stage of Courtship is set in the White Room, envisioned as a blossoming garden of extraordinary floral compositions made from ceramics, glass, plastic, paper, or precious metals, created by international artisans as a universal symbol of love. These creations are so beautiful that one can almost be intoxicated by the scent they seem to emanate. In the Tapestry Room, union, born of love, is celebrated, a source of inspiration for artisans throughout the ages up to the present day. The wonderful creations on display span marvels of every kind to express the human desire for love that lasts forever: headpieces, furniture, vases, and decorative objects compose a contemporary wunderkammer illuminated by a lighting installation designed by Thebackstudio for the Matta gallery.
The experience of life is incomplete without the pleasure of Travel, which allows the discovery of artifacts designed to facilitate relationships with countries and peoples from all over: maps, compasses, clocks, and extraordinary globes are displayed in the Tea Room, specially furnished to enjoy a rejuvenating break while savoring spiced dishes inspired by the ancient trade routes of the Serenissima. The exhibition journey, which includes immersion in the natural park of the Island – enhanced by the landscape design of Antonio Perrazzi – subsequently leads the visitor to the newly restored Printing House, used for the first time as an exhibition space to host a wonderful selection of objects inspired by the world of Nature.
Nature, an inexhaustible source of inspiration since time immemorial, has inspired extraordinary objects in porcelain, glass, papier-mâché, natural and recycled fibers, whose textures, organic forms, and unexpected materials enchant with a beauty that surpasses even their original models of inspiration.
The entire environment of the Foundation’s former pool is dedicated to the spiritual component of human life, adapted to the dimension of the Dream, an immersive space that uses the forms of contemporary art installations. Here, the visitor is completely enveloped in darkness to come into contact with the rituals connected to the imponderable shamanic world, also evoked by the presence of an extraordinary collection of masks from all over the world, from Finland to Colombia, from Bulgaria to Benin.
The final stage of life, dedicated to the Afterlife, does not end with death: the journey continues through the memory of creativity that remains infused in the objects that accompany each person in their own Journey of Life.
