Jaeger-LeCoultre to Showcase Exceptional Craftsmanship at Homo Faber Biennial in Venice
Jaeger-LeCoultre has announced its participation in the third edition of the Homo Faber Biennial in Venice in September. Homo Faber celebrates the savoir-faire and unique stories of talented craftspeople from around the globe, honouring the priceless human skill behind the creation of beautiful, handcrafted objects. Imagined by celebrated film director and interior architect Luca Guadagnino, and architect Nicolò Rosmarini, the celebration, titled The Journey of Life, will feature the work of more than 400 highly skilled craftspeople from 50 countries, in 10 themed exhibition spaces. The Homo Faber 2024 will take place at the Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the island of S.Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, from 1–30 September, 2024.
An immersive exhibition offering rare insight into precious craft skills
Showcasing the exceptional savoir-faire of its Métiers Rares™ atelier and reflecting a core value of the Maison, Jaeger-LeCoultre has been chosen as a participant in the ‘Nature’ exhibition. Many of the Maison's motifs are inspired by nature, such as the exhibited pieces of Reverso One ‘Precious Flowers’. The Maison will underline the inheritance of traditional crafts, the value of passing down savoir-faire from generation to generation, and the influence of symbolic imagery throughout history.
Animating the Maison’s exhibit and offering visitors rare insight into precious craft skills, craftsmen from the Manufacture will give live demonstrations of the crafts of enamelling, engraving, gem setting and watchmaking at different times throughout the month-long event.
To celebrate the talent and accumulated savoir-faire in both watchmaking and the decorative arts, Jaeger-LeCoultre will launch three new Reverso limited-edition timepieces during the Homo Faber Biennial.
Homo Faber Fellowship: supporting the transmission of savoir-faire
Reinforcing its commitment to supporting the preservation and transmission of vitally important craft skills for future generations, Jaeger-LeCoultre last year became the partner of the Michelangelo Foundation in the Homo Faber Fellowship. A long-term initiative, the programme equips talented graduates with the creative and business skills necessary for integration into the professional craft sector. The inaugural cycle began with a month-long residential masterclass based at the studio of the renowned Portuguese contemporary artist Joana Vasconcelos and brought together 20 duos of Master craftsmen and newly graduated talents (Fellows). Workshops in creative skills were complemented by a design case study presented by Jaeger-LeCoultre, and a bespoke programme focused on business skills and entrepreneurial vision presented and certified by ESSEC Business School. This was followed by a six-month residential placement for the Fellows in the studios of their corresponding Masters, during which they exchanged ideas and further developed their techniques through the co-creation of an object.
A selection of these objects has been curated for the Homo Faber2024, where they will be displayed in different exhibition areas, corresponding to the creative visions and craft skills that each embodies. The objects made by the duos of master artisans and fellows that have been selected are:
“Eclipse” by Julien Vermeulen and Matéo Laurent (France) from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, craft of Featherworking
“Art Deco Totem” by Giannis Zois (Greece) and Shokhrukh Rakhimov (Uzbekistan) from Kamoliddin Behzod Institute, craft of Ceramics
“Coire” by Mike Byrne and Noel Donnellan (Ireland) from Van der Kelen Logelain, craft of Ceramics
“Silver Tea Service” by Seamus Gill and Claire Mooney (Ireland) from Ulster University, craft of Silversmithing
“Un Au Revoir” by Tom von Kaenel (Switzerland) and Clara Coujaty (France and Greece) from Ecole Boulle, craft of Stone Sculpture
“Decocode” by Andreia Almeida and Manuel Pinto (Portugal) from FRESS, craft of Woodcarving
“Silla Toledo” by Ramón Recuero Ibáñez and David González Parrilla (Spain), from Escuela de Herreros Ramón Recuero, craft of Metalworking
The Homo Faber The Journey of Life is open to the public from 1 – 30 September 2024, from 10am to 7pm daily, at Fondazione Giorgio Cini on the island of S.Giorgio Maggiore, Venice. Information and tickets are available at homofaber.com
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