Homo Faber Fellows Unveil Their Newest Collaborative Works at Milan Design Week

An initiative of the Michelangelo Foundation, the Homo Faber fellowship provides emerging artisans with an apprenticeship stipend that allows them to live and work alongside their maîtres for a six-month period. The aim is to foster innovation while ensuring that traditional skills survive and flourish. This year, 23 duos were selected out of over 100 applications. A Spanish father-son team produced the ultimate artist book: bound in colorful vegetable-tanned leather marquetry, it celebrates the French Arts Décoratifs and the eternal power of printed knowledge.

To decorate a wooden screen, a Spanish-Uruguayan partnership developed a polychrome process by resurrecting a gilding technique employed by Florentine Renaissance masters. Irish makers Helen O’Connell and Finn Conlon carved two opulent stools inlaid with Iranian travertine and Carrara marble (the pieces are entitled “Suaimhneas,” which means repose in Gaelic). O’Connell’s mentor was Conlon’s father—the multigenerational connection coming full circle.

Biannually Homo Faber showcases hundreds of sensational crafts pieces, including some of the work of the fellows, at the Fondazione Cini in Venice. This past September, the vision of award-winning film director Luca Guadagnino accompanied visitors through “The Journey of Life” where a careful selection of objects highlighted critical stages of the human existence. Obsessive in detail, the staging offered the individual works enhanced visibility and meaning.

The goal of the initiative is manifold: nurturing human talent, showcasing the potential of craftsmanship, highlighting the cultural values of design, and empowering social connectivity. Hanneli Rupert, vice chair of the Michelangelo Foundation, compares Homo Faber to a lighthouse: a guiding light for all living artisans and craftspeople seeking direction.

Doppia Firma (Double Signature), a parallel project by the Cologni Foundation, straddles the divide between form and function. High level craftsmanship becomes as prized as quality design. A small exhibition at the very exclusive Villa Mozart reveals how the co-authorship between designers and artisans can empower both. This year, the presentation celebrates materials and talent from the Italian Alps. On display is a walnut chair that feels ready to jet off, with branches sticking out of its backrest and seat. It’s a visual story connecting tradition with surprise. The Silva chair bears a double signature: Andrea Mancuso (designer) and Luciano Tousco (artisan); an equal and necessary partnership.

I leave with a profounder sense of connection to form and the human capacity for mastery. Engaging with handcrafted pieces made me feel better. I am thankful to the Richemont Group for supporting these initiatives—our collective human experience is enriched by these efforts.