Inspirational trip Venice!
A few weeks ago, a lovely lady called Amanda came along to one of my bag workshops. We got chatting, and she told me about a trip she had planned to Venice to visit Homo Faber, the international biennial celebrating contemporary craftsmanship. I was intrigued! The exhibition sounded right up my street, so I decided to book flights and go! As it only runs for a month, I didn’t have long to plan. I asked my mum, who is a painter herself, to come along, and we headed to Venice for three days, 21–24 September 2026.
Now in its fourth edition, Homo Faber 2026, An Island of Light, takes place on San Giorgio Maggiore, just across the water from Venice. This year, over 500 artisans from more than 70 countries showcased 700+ handcrafted pieces across 15 immersive installations.
The setting itself is beautiful. The exhibition is held within the historic complex of the Fondazione Giorgio Cini, a former Benedictine monastery restored as a major cultural centre for Venice.
A snapshot of my trip to Homo Faber in Venice
Naturally, I was particularly interested in the leatherwork, but I was also fascinated by the ceramics, glass, wood, paper and basketry. I was especially impressed by the wooden pieces and the incredible craftsmanship involved. There were also artists demonstrating their techniques, including leather artist Kuniko Maeda, who combines molding, laser cutting and dyeing to create intricate, organic forms. There were several pieces made from leather which, at first glance, looked like they were other materials, this just goes to show what a versatile material it is. Below are all items made from leather, except one, can you guess which one?
Which is the odd one out?
On the second day of our trip, we also visited The 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – titled In Minor Keys , which runs every two years from May to November. Unlike Homo Faber, this exhibition has been running for over 100 years! Held at the Giardini and Arsenale venues as well as various locations across Venice and at Forte Marghera. Sadly, the curator, Koyo Koukh, died suddenly in May 2025, but La Biennale di Venezia decided to carry out her Exhibition. It has followed the project just as she conceived and defined it, with the purpose of preserving, enhancing and disseminating her ideas and the work she pursued.
In Minor Keys had a very different feel to Homo Faber, with a much stronger focus on contemporary and conceptual art than craftsmanship. With 100 countries taking part this year, the main exhibition flows through the building with exhibits in every direction often depicting quite thought-provoking subjects and was rather overwhelming and different to Homo Faber but an interesting experience nonetheless.
Just a few exhibits from La Biennale di Venezia
My mum summed up the difference rather perfectly in a text to my dad…
‘Just walked around a multi-faceted, very powerful exhibition displayed in various warehouses near the old docks. Very difficult to look at and walk by as a lot of it featured displaced people, war, destruction, alienation and desperate sadness. Yesterday (Homo Faber) was all about celebrating humanity's skill, imagination and artistic creativity. Today was much more about humanity's inhumanity to man. Very sobering.’
I couldn’t have put it better myself! And if you love art, craft and Italian food, I’d highly recommend a trip to Venice! There are exhibitions and galleries to enjoy all year round of course, but September 2028 is one to put in the diary: Homo Faber returns for its 5th edition — and I’m already planning my next visit!