In the Venetian Lagoon, a Biennial Turns Its Spotlight on Craft

The designer Es Devlin has curated the Homo Faber Biennial in the Venetian lagoon, bringing together works by 500 artisans, according to the New York Times. The paper describes the exhibition as an argument for craft as art, with each participant presented as "an island of talent". Devlin, known for designing stadium tours and stage sets, turns her attention here to objects made by hand.

The setting matters to the story. Venice's lagoon islands have long housed workshops and manufactories, and the biennial's geography echoes that history. The New York Times frames the show as a counterweight to the spectacle usually associated with Devlin's stage work, putting the emphasis on skill and material rather than scale.