ENGLISH VERSION
THE HUMAN CAPITAL Alberto Cavalli In 2016, when Johann Rupert and Franco Cologni founded the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, they had a precise aim in mind: to support the finest craftspeople in Europe, often somewhat invisible and only rarely taken into consideration, in facing the challenges of the contemporary world. In so doing, they set themselves the goal of helping them become the new protagonists of a more human way of working, producing and selling: in a word, of living. The first edition of “Homo Faber”, in 2018, was the springboard for a new international cultural movement, which Franco Cologni has sought to promote through his Italian foundation since 1995: a movement that places human talent, in all its expressions, at the heart of endeavours for a more sustainable future. Where “sustainable” does not only mean respect for the environment, but also for everything that makes life extraordinary: dreams, creativity and beauty. The second edition of “Homo Faber”, scheduled to take place from 10 April to 1 May 2022 at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini in Venice, raises this dialogue to an even more evocative and prestigious level: Japan, the guest of honour at the event, shows us that the most skilled master craftspeople are true “living treasures”. A presence that is priceless for culture, memory and the identity of people and places: a human capital of talent and vision, which should be considered and celebrated as an anthropological cultural asset (in the words of our own Ministry of Culture). This issue of Mestieri d’Arte & Design. Crafts Culture is thus dedicated to the extraordinary adventure of “Homo Faber”. The following pages will reveal a preview, through the competent point of view of our passionate authors, of the fifteen exhibitions that will make up the new edition of this unique event, curated by a team of experts that includes legendary names such as Bob Wilson, Naoto Fukasawa, Judith Clark, David Caméo, Stefano Boeri, Michele De Lucchi, Jean Blanchaert and Sebastian Herkner. This concept of curatorship and care is one of the secrets of this event, which this year will be extended to embrace the whole city of Venice though the “Homo Faber in Città” programme: because doing things with care, making choices, noticing differences and showcasing them, are fundamental to increase the perception, and therefore the value, of beauty. But this edition is also dedicated to the “Homines Fabri”: all those who, with abnegation and talent, passion and skill, set out each day to celebrate the ritual of beautiful and well-made objects. People who pursue a handmade dream, imagining a future in which human hands always interpret our desires better than any machine. And translate them into meaningful objects that leave a mark. These men and women are the makers of their own destiny, thanks to the competence, love and authenticity of their vocation, which enables them to succeed in the most exacting challenges. The essence of their work is distilled in the pages of this magazine. It is the best possible commentary to the wonders Venice offers the watchful visitor: what might at first glance seem fragile can actually turn into something strong, longlasting and resilient when we take care of it. Enjoy your reading and have a good trip to the island of San Giorgio!
STAND OUT AND BE KNOWN Ugo La Pietra People need to exchange views in order to grow and improve! This is the approach that should be constantly applied within the various artistic disciplines. Among artists, the artisan-artist is the one who, more than other creative professionals, experiences the most “isolation”. This condition leads him to 114
explore unfamiliar territories but also forces him to have rare opportunities for verification and comparison. For many years (until the 1950s), outstanding artistic craftsmanship was regularly presented in magazines such as Domus or through exhibitions such as the Monza Biennale or the Milan Triennale. After that, many years of silence followed. It was only in the 1980s, when applied arts and the maker culture began to surface, that various initiatives were launched to unearth the different expression of crafts throughout Italy and to compare them with one another. The first experimental exhibitions at “Abitare il Tempo” in Verona and “Abitare con Arte” in Milan were followed by attempts to actually harness the formula used for the Biennials of the applied arts, resulting in exhibitions of “excellence”. Like, for example, the “Masterpieces” exhibition staged in Turin by Enzo Biffi Gentili, or the biennial editions of “Artigianato Artistico” that I organised in Todi and Boario Terme between the late 1990s and the turn of the new millennium. Comparing notes can therefore become the most useful tool for growing our own production within the more valued international market of this particular sector. Which, outside of Italy, is supported by museums, institutions, schools, galleries, the market… A complex of structures that could also sustain the work of our artistic craftsmanship. As far as nurturing forms of comparison and enhancement goes, our legacy of craftsmanship has already seen virtuous examples. Indeed, they are positively illuminating: more than the above-mentioned exhibitions and attempts at Biennials, I am thinking most of all about what was achieved in the 1950s for the handcrafted furniture of Brianza with the “Permanente” exhibition of Cantù. This institution was promoted by architects of the calibre of De Carli, Zanuso and Parisi, and for decades it provided the furniture in Cantù with an international seal of quality. Rediscovering the applied arts, coming together for a stimulating confrontation, up to the more ambitious project of creating a “permanent” exhibition, has been and continues to be a necessity for fostering the great heritage of Italian and international artistic craftsmanship. Every discipline, from architecture to art, cinema and comics, have long been cultivating national and international projects to showcase “the best of ” what is being done within their specific discipline. The world of design has yet to grasp how to deal with this comparison-based approach. Functional and consumption objects do not yet seem to have achieved the level of “value” and “meaning” that other arts have. But artistic craftsmanship deserves this kind of initiative, if only to acknowledge the creative effort, the passion and the desire to experiment… all values that characterise this particular field. In recent years, thanks to the commitment and participation of experts, scholars and theorists of the applied arts, the Fondazione Cologni has contributed to the development of various tools (exhibitions, awards, publications) capable of presenting but above all comparing a wide range of creative experiences. The world of artistic craftsmanship looks with keen interest and participation to the growth of these initiatives, which go far beyond the mere (albeit useful) raising of awareness. “Homo Faber” is becoming a centre of knowledge, experimentation and international exchange, and one that stands out amongst the many initiatives that have taken place in recent decades. We need to stand out to bring our artistic craftsmanship into the vast international arena of the crafts, thereby recovering the extraordinary creative heritage that has always distinguished our country.
THE MEANING OF MAKING Stefano Micelli Every crisis provides an opportunity to reflect on society and on the assumptions of living together. In the aftermath of the events of 2008, which
