Author: fondazione

The cycle of beauty

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Fabio Fornasier, born in 1963, is a Murano glass Master, heir to a long tradition: he inherited the skills and passion for this unique craft from his father Luigi. Now a father himself, he is passing the secrets of the furnace on to his own son. In Fornasier’s distinctive creations, traditional Murano style and technique are enriched with a contemporary artistic flair—driven by curiosity, openness to innovation, and a bold inclination toward experimentation. His acclaimed masterpiece and best-seller, the Lu-Murano chandelier, is a perfect expression of the Master’s light, evocative style, which earned him the title of MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (Master of Arts and Crafts) in 2024.

As someone who inherited his craft from his father Luigi, yet has successfully modernized it—what opportunities does a glass artisan have today, compared to fifty years ago?
Today, young people have many more opportunities than in the past. For one thing, there’s no longer a need to travel to learn or exchange ideas: all the information is instantly accessible via a computer or smartphone. This is essential for me—I’m always looking for new inspiration, especially from artists and craftspeople working with other materials.
Also, today there’s plenty of work, but a shortage of skilled labor. The few young people coming out of training schools are quickly snapped up by the larger glasshouses. And yet, the profession of the glass Master has changed: going to the furnace is no longer a punishment for those who don’t want to study—it’s an opportunity to do a unique, creative, and rewarding job, recognized and valued.

How do you view the current state of Murano’s glassmakers?
There is work, but the conditions are tough, and the number of Masters is dwindling—you’d struggle to count ten of us today. The biggest challenge is finding young people to take up the trade. We need to change the narrative and perception of what it means to be a Maestro vetraio, to show that it’s a prestigious profession.
Then there’s the very real issue of rising costs—especially gas and raw materials—which have literally doubled in the past five years.

Who are your main clients or commissioners, and what do they seek from a Murano Master like you?
We don’t work with retailers: our pieces are all custom commissions, done in collaboration with architects, designers, or end clients. They come to us for a unique version of my Lu-Murano chandelier—tailored to their specifications in size and color. In this process, my daughter Valentina plays a key role, acting as the link between myself and our clients.

Is there still room for experimentation in Murano glassmaking? Are there shared areas of research or trends, or does each furnace follow its own path?
Independent glass Masters—not those working as employees—enjoy great freedom. For me, experimentation is a daily practice. I’m extremely curious, and even today I can’t wait to open the annealing oven in the morning to see how a piece has turned out.
Murano glassmakers are often criticized for failing to innovate, for sticking to repetitive production. But for that very reason, those who break the mold and create something new have the chance to stand out. That’s what happened to me in 2003, when I unveiled Aria e Fuoco, an oil-powered chandelier that eventually evolved into the electrified Lu-Murano.

You have taught or held workshops in several prestigious international institutions. What is the most important lesson you try to pass on to young aspiring glassmakers?
You have to start with the basics—you can’t skip steps. This is an extremely technical craft that develops with experience and, above all, through mistakes. Every misstep has its reason and its value. Unfortunately, I’ve seen many glassmakers—especially from American schools—who produce interesting pieces but can’t reproduce them. They haven’t fully internalized the technical side of their work.

In 2024, you received the MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere award from the Cologni Foundation. What did this recognition mean to you?
It brought me immense joy and pride. I know how careful the Cologni Foundation is in selecting its awardees, and it’s always a pleasure to receive a lifetime achievement award while you’re still alive! It felt like a recognition of my passion—especially meaningful given the beautiful setting of San Giorgio Island in Venice, during the Homo Faber event.

Do you have a project that’s especially close to your heart? Something you fell in love with, or something not tied to the market, but rather a personal dream?
My dearest project is to become my son Nicolò’s assistant. Today, he assists me—but the day we can switch roles, I’ll know that he’s truly arrived.

VETRERIA ARTISTICA FORNASIER LUIGI

Calle del Paradiso 14

30141 Murano (Venezia) – Italia

Tel. +39 041 736176 – info@lu-murano.it

www.lu-murano.it

The song of coral

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Laura di Giovanna Nocito creates unique jewelry from the coral of Sciacca — a treasure the waters offered to the Sicilian town nearly two centuries ago — making this precious gift of the sea “sing.” The heir to a family whose legacy has been shaped, generation after generation, by remarkable women, Laura was named a MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts in 2024 for her extraordinary talent in the goldsmith’s art. In the following interview, she shares the captivating, almost mythical tales that led her to make coral her life’s craft.

Can you tell us the story of Sciacca’s coral?
It is a unique and legendary tale, tied to an extraordinary event. One day in 1831, the people of Sciacca awoke in terror to sudden rumblings and tremors, accompanied by a strong smell of sulfur. To understand the source of this upheaval, local fishermen took to the sea — and just a few kilometers off the coast, they discovered a newly emerged island, which would go down in history as Ferdinandea Island. The island disappeared beneath the surface of the sea within a few months, but it foretold the beginning of an epic that, from 1875 onward, led to the discovery of three immense coral deposits. These had grown on the slopes of underwater volcanoes that dot our sea, and then accumulated in deep underwater pockets over thousands and thousands of years. This is how Sciacca coral was born: it is a gift from the sea and from time.

How did your family become part of this story?
It all began with a woman—my ancestor Concetta Venezia, the daughter of merchants, who in 1905 married her cousin Peppino Nocito, the last descendant of a family of noble origins.
Peppino didn’t want his wife to work; it would have been improper for someone of his social standing. But the women in my family have always stood out for their rebellious determination.
Concetta, unable to settle into a life of comfort, took advantage of the arrival of a jewelry representative at the family-owned hotel. She convinced him to leave her a few pieces and began secretly selling them to her friends, behind her husband’s back. When Peppino found out, it wasn’t an easy moment. We don’t know the details of what happened. All we know is that, four years later, the couple was still going strong, the hotel was gone, and Concetta was the owner of the most important jewelry store in Sciacca. Mountains of coral passed through her hands—the great era of coral fishing was still underway and wouldn’t end until 1914, with the beginning of the Great War.

What makes Sciacca’s coral so distinctive?
It is a truly unique coral, known for its hardness, brilliance, and density. Its natural palette ranges from pale pink to deep orange, and it is entirely sustainable: since it is subfossil, or “dead” coral, no living organisms are harmed during its collection.

What are the main techniques and challenges in working with coral?
Working with coral is a world apart — shaped by its own “song,” the delicate chime it makes when two pieces strike each other. Nothing can be automated; every step must be done by hand, ideally using tools that are either custom-made or specially adapted for each individual branch. This allows the artisan to work with the coral’s natural irregularities and uniqueness, following ancient techniques passed down solely from master to apprentice. Working with coral is true sculpture — a process carried out in tandem with the material itself. You do only what the coral allows you to do; you must listen to what it suggests. In my training, the turning point was the opportunity to learn the craft from an extraordinary master: Platimiro Fiorenza. Despite his initial hesitation at the arrival of a woman in a world traditionally reserved for men, he eventually welcomed me into his workshop and taught me the secrets of his ancient art.

The story of your family is one of entrepreneurship, with women always playing a central role. Is it still a challenge today?
Starting with Concetta, women have always been at the heart of our family’s entrepreneurial history—with the only exception being a period in which there was no female heir. My father was an only child and chose to become an engineer. I revived the business in 2005. The truth is that, in Sicily, beneath the surface, a true matriarchy reigns. Our land is full of stories of independent women, including entrepreneurs, like Donna Franca Florio. That doesn’t mean the challenges aren’t many and difficult, even today. I had to fight, even just to receive my education.

What inspires your creativity when creating jewelry?
Every day, my inspiration comes from everything around me: the sea, the sun, nature, the traditions of my land — not just those related to jewelry, but also to other crafts like papier-mâché and ceramics.

What did the MAM – Master of Arts and Crafts recognition mean to you?
I received the news with disbelief: I almost felt paralyzed before I allowed myself to feel excited. I didn’t feel worthy of achieving the same milestone as my master Platimiro Fiorenza, but at the same time, the award represented the recognition I felt I deserved for my passion and for the difficulties I faced along the way. It’s not just a goal, but also a new starting point, because coral is an infinite world, and there’s still so much more to learn.

Contacts
Nocito Gioielli
Via Venezia, 8A – Sciacca (AG)
+39 0925 85386 – info@nocitogioielli.com
www.nocitogioielli.com

Beatrice Barni: the craftswoman of roses

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To celebrate the arrival of spring, the Biblioteca degli Alberi in Milan has been graced with a new rose garden, which now hosts the Rosa Mestieri d’Arte, a variety specially created by the Pistoian nursery, Rose Barni, for the Cologni Foundation. The scientist, farmer, and craftswoman responsible for bringing this unique variety to life—an eloquent metaphor for a delicate yet powerful world that transforms raw matter into beauty—is Beatrice Barni. A descendant of a family that has, for four generations, given birth to new expressions of beauty, she is also an expert in hybridization, a craft for which she was honored as a MAM (Master of Art and Crafts) in 2018. An undoubtedly unique and distinctive profession within the world of craftsmanship, of which Beatrice has unveiled some of its many secrets.

Hybridizing roses is a lesser-known craft. Could you briefly explain how it works?
Unlike vegetative propagation methods such as grafting or cuttings, hybridization is a sexual reproduction process: it is the only method that allows the creation of a new variety of rose through the combination of pollen from one variety with the female part (stigma) of another. In practice, humans replicate what insects or the wind already do in nature, but in a more targeted and specific way.

Shapes, colors, scents, resistance, adaptability, life cycle: what are the elements that can be influenced?
The rose is a highly heterogeneous genus, exhibiting variation in both aesthetic aspects (flower shape and color, diverse scent compositions) as well as vegetative characteristics (growth habit, type of foliage, presence or absence of thorns, and the formation of ornamental hips). Hybridization aims to select ever more interesting varieties, always prioritizing disease resistance and the ability to bloom throughout the season.

To what extent can the outcome be controlled?
There are guidelines, derived from experience and observation, that can be followed when seeking a particular trait. However, nothing is certain, and we often encounter surprises in the results.

Your family has been involved in floriculture since the late 19th century. How important is it to pass on knowledge in your craft?
The transmission of experience is one of the fundamental aspects of our work, as all the knowledge in both production and logistics stems from years of trials and experiments, responding to the most varied environmental conditions.

You create roses that do not exist in nature: do you consider yourself more of a farmer, scientist, artisan, or creator?
In our work, we must be eclectic and wear many hats simultaneously. I am fortunate to be able to experiment with various activities, which bring me into direct contact with nature, but also with many people.

You have dedicated roses to many famous names. Do you choose the characteristics of the rose based on the person, or do you let the rose inspire you to find a name?
In our hybridizing work, we often find ourselves looking for the right variety to dedicate to a famous person. However, there are also cases where the reverse happens, and it is important to find the appropriate name for a new hybrid, based on its defined characteristics.

In recent years, your work has received prestigious recognitions, such as the Talent du Luxe et de la Création award in France and the MAM – Master of Art and Crafts award in Italy. What are the next challenges?
Rather than speaking of challenges, I would prefer to highlight the persistence and curiosity involved in discovering and experimenting with what nature has in store. The world of roses is incredibly fascinating and ever-evolving. My grandfather used to say that the perfect rose is the one that has yet to come.

Rose Barni
Via del Casello, 5
Pistoia
+39 0573 380464
info@rosebarni.it
www.rosebarni.it

Bevilacqua: ceramics to share Sicily with the world

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Inspired by their mother’s artistic flair, in 1997 Giuseppe and Antonio Bevilacqua founded a ceramic workshop in a small Sicilian town in the province of Caltanissetta, where they create the typical products of Caltagirone and Santo Stefano di Camastra ceramics – such as Moorish heads, pinecones, and tables – in a more contemporary style, while still using traditional techniques. With passion and determination, the brothers achieved recognition in a relatively short time, eventually forming high-profile collaborations, such as with Dolce&Gabbana, and in 2022, they received the title of MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (MAM – Masters of Arts and Crafts’accolade) from the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.

Can you tell us how your story in the world of ceramics began?
It all started in 1997. An adventure that began with our mother, who has always been a painter and passed on her artistic passion to us. We like to say we bet on ourselves, accompanied by a touch of madness and a lot of determination. We opened a small workshop in the historic center of Campofranco, just a few kilometers from the beautiful Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, and there we began creating objects that tell our story, the tradition of Sicilian ceramics, and the land we live in. It’s a workshop where our creations come to life, outside the usual path of traditional Sicilian ceramics.

How important is the territory, Sicily, and the tradition of Caltagirone to your work?
The connection with our land is fundamental. We drew from the traditions of Caltagirone and Santo Stefano di Camastra but created our own distinctive style. Each piece is a small work of art, unique and unrepeatable, made entirely by hand. From the processing of clay to its shaping, decoration, and firing, every object comes to life from our hands.

Do you have specific roles, or are you “interchangeable”?
We work in unison, complementing each other and understanding each other with just a glance. We work every day in close contact, sharing everything, always together and united. This understanding allows us to work in harmony and with complete respect for one another.

Is your style and technique strictly traditional?
Tradition is our artistic signature. All pieces are made from white clay by choice, as the colors on this base appear brighter and more intense. Clay, water, pigments, reliability, and passion: this is how one of our products comes to life. Tradition is the foundation we start from, and we carry it to the present day. The past, present, and future blend together in our creations. The millennia-old tradition of Sicilian ceramics, design, craftsmanship, and innovation combine to give life to products, all made in Sicily, where each piece has a taste of exclusivity. The culture of the material, knowledge of production techniques, decoration, and firing processes ensure that our products are of the highest quality. Every object is an expression of a unique and exclusive design that interprets the taste of tradition while keeping an eye on the future. Moorish heads, tables, and pinecones, which are initially just home décor, become exclusive works of art.

Over the years, you’ve established important professional collaborations, like the one with Dolce&Gabbana. What is the secret to being chosen by such a prestigious brand?
Being able to work with such an important and internationally recognized fashion brand is an honor for us. We advise anyone who wants to follow our example to work hard, with commitment, punctuality, and passion. It is also essential to perfectly translate what the client requests and desires into the creations. We are always ready to create bespoke products based on the guidelines we are given.

What opportunities does communication offer today to a young artisan?
Communication is a window to the world, helping to take one’s work outside the workshop and allowing it to be known and appreciated by a wider audience, eager to have Sicilian tradition products with a contemporary twist in their homes, offices, and studios.

What are your next challenges?
For us artisans, the challenges are many, every day. Perhaps the one we both desire the most is to take our art beyond national borders. Seeing our works placed in various international contexts fills us with pride and satisfaction and drives us to do better every day.

 

CERAMICA BEVILACQUA

Piazza Francesco Crispi, 24 – Campofranco (CL) – ITALY

+39 0934 959390 – info@ceramicabevilacqua.com

www.ceramicabevilacqua.com

 

 

Tarsie Turri: tradition and contemporary visions

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Rita Turri, Master of Arts and Crafts 2024 in wood marquetry, inherited from her father Carlo, founder of the Tarsie Turri workshop in Anagni (in the province of Frosinone), the technique and sensitivity to find the harmony in which a few dozen or a thousand pieces, patiently composed in a refined geometric and chromatic balance, can coexist.

Let’s start with the inlay technique: how long does it take to create a medium-sized work, and what are the steps involved?

Of course, the time necessary to complete a piece depends on the complexity of the project and its specific nature. Net of the preparatory stages, a few days, weeks or even months may pass between the insertion of the first piece into the new inlay and the completion of the work.
The working technique consists of several stages. First, a decoration composed of defined contour lines is reproduced on a thin sheet of wood, called veneer. Then, by means of a knife, the individual parts are gradually engraved and replaced with other veneers, of a suitable shade and grain to give the decoration an ideal spatial and chromatic representation.
Once the workmanship is finished, the original veneer – now composed of dozens, hundreds or thousands of different inserts, depending on the size and complexity of the decoration – reproduces the design conceived with the so-called “al coltello” (with a knife) inlay technique. Each work is then subjected to a series of final processes-gluing, sanding and polishing, that preserve its form and charm over time.

And the inspiration, where does it come from?
Everywhere: in the colors and textures of the veneers, in the defects of the wood, in the clients’ requests. It takes very little to spark the imagination: a visit to a museum or, more simply, what happens around us on a daily basis.

How important is research and experimentation, even in a work based on the transmission of a craft tradition?
Research and experimentation undoubtedly help to contextualize in the present a centuries-old art such as wood marquetry. I constantly follow the evolution of the offering of the raw material (natural woods and natural dyes) and the materials to be used in the finishing stages of every work, and in the end this allows me to execute valuable inlays on any type of object: from boiserie, to large furniture such as cabinets and tables, to small jewelry (medallions, bracelets, etc.). These conditions pave the way for new projects, which I often make together with creative people and designers interested, as I am, in keeping alive a dialogue between tradition and modernity.

How do you combine tradition and modernity in an effective and original way, in a work of artistic craftsmanship?
There is a need for balance and sensitivity. Tradition provides the foundation: authentic materials and respect for history. A contemporary approach brings modern visions and adaptations that respond to the tastes and needs of the present. A good product of high craftsmanship combines the ability to tell the story of the past with the ability to project into the future.

What advice would you give to those who want to take this path?
There must of course be a strong motivation and a natural predisposition for creative and manual work. However, in the best tradition of high craftsmanship, a primary condition is to have expert guidance to help take the first steps in the field.

What was it like learning the trade alongside your father?
It was a unique and unrepeatable experience. He was a deep connoisseur of wood marquetry, a true master, always helpful and generous in transferring all his knowledge to me, with care and dedication. What I think made the real difference, however, was the passion he put into his work, which was absolutely contagious. That is how, after 40 years, I am still here making inlays.

Tarsie Turri
Via Vittorio Emanuele, 291
Anagni, FR
+39 0775 726978
info@tarsieturri.it
www.tarsieturri.it

Tiziana Grassi and the Ospedale delle Bambole: a magical place, guardian of memories and stories

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Immerse yourself in an unexpected experience: a true paradise for children, who can go to this place, especially around Christmas time, to give their dolls and toys a new life, enhancing what they already have.

How did the idea of the Ospedale delle Bambole come about and what is the history of this atelier-museum?
The sign ‘Ospedale delle Bambole’ was put up outside my great-grandfather’s atelier, in Via San Biagio dei Librai 81 in Naples, in 1895. Luigi Grassi was a set designer for the puppet theatre and he often found himself repairing some who lost a limb or head in battle. He was called ‘doctor’ because he always wore a smock, so as not to get paint on it. One day, a lady brought him a broken doll and asked him to try to fix it: he succeeded and word spread in the neighbourhood that there was a doctor who cured dolls. Soon the shop was filled with doll parts and a lady passing by exclaimed “Me pare o ‘spital de’ bambule” (It seems to me like the doll hospital). My great-grandfather lit up and without wasting any time took a wooden board and with red paint wrote ‘Ospedale delle Bambole’ and put a cross on it.
After him it was the turn of Michele, my grandfather, Cavaliere del Lavoro della Repubblica Italiana (Knight of Labour of the Italian Republic), who ran the workshop during the war years and is said to repair dolls ‘at the price of a smile’. The atelier first gained fame with my father, Luigi Grassi, who was able to keep the business alive at a time when the old town was the scene of Camorra feuds. His atelier was called ‘Aladdin’s lamp’: the only place that emanated light and attracted tourism in years of terror and discouragement for the merchants of Spaccanapoli. The intellectuals of the time and many artists have been customers: Renzo Arbore, Marisa Laurito, Roberto de Simone, Peppe Barra, the De Filippo…
Then I came along and, after years spent keeping this art alive in the world of restoration in the years of consumerism, eight years ago I decided to move the 18 m2 workshop to the stables of Palazzo Marigliano: a 150 m2 atelier-museum that could tell our story, accommodate everything that the three generations before me have conserved, with painstaking care, in warehouses scattered around the historic centre, and ‘revive’ the theme of restoration, telling our visitors how important it is not to abandon a beloved object.

What was your training?
When I was young I was a model, my father kept me quite far from the shop, he said it was not a profession for young women. When I turned 23, I had decided that I wanted to do the job at all costs. I had already taken a diploma in porcelain work and restoration and done courses in restoration, papier-mâché modelling and a masterclass in the Lenci company. I thought Dad would immediately put me by his side, but instead he sent me to be a ‘workshop girl’ for a few years: I had to know how to work with materials! So he sent me to the turner, the framer, the ceramist. When he found me suitable, I joined him and he explained to me the secrets of his trade, how to work with celluloid, how to change the eyes, how to fix the arms of dolls.
It was difficult for me to gain the respect of the neighbourhood: our trade is a craft and the craftsman – in the collective imagination – was a man, white hair and glasses. I was tall, beautiful, blond and young, and when customers came to the workshop and found me they would ask for ‘o’ doctor‘, “o” professor’. My father would come and take charge of the doll. He opened a shop for me inside a building fifty metres from the main office and sent customers to me to pick up the doll: only then did they discover that it was me who had repaired it! With my father’s illness, I became ‘head doctor’ of the Ospedale delle Bambole and people no longer had any scruples about coming to me.
I also set up the Plush Veterinary Outpatient Clinic and, thanks to this, I held workshops in the early 2000s at the Naples Zoo for all the children in the city who had a broken soft toy. One of the busiest wards in the hospital even today!
Eight years ago I decided to move to the new premises and here the restoration activity increased exponentially. Unbridled consumerism started more than twenty years ago, and I found myself repairing very few toys. Today, thanks to the museum, which receives tens of thousands of visitors, we manage to restore almost 400 toys a year, as many as my father did in 7/8 years: here I am happy to tell my story to those who decide to come in and immerse themselves in this very special and unexpected world.

What is the mission of the Ospedale delle Bambole?
We try to convey the importance of recycling to children, to combat the unbridled consumerism of our times. Today, children have too many toys and when one breaks, they move on to the next one. They no longer name their favourite toy because they often don’t have one. When we host them, we invite them to come home and choose a toy that they will keep forever. So that one day they can pass it on for generations, as they once did, and perhaps come back to us.
As far as the museum side is concerned, we are interested in making our visitors escape from the feverish contemporary life: when I welcome them, I always like to say that Naples is a very noisy city, inside my museum-shop the only noise you can hear is that of their soul, which becomes a child again for a while. In here you can feel the flavour of childhood and every time I get excited watching people’s eyes shine as if they were six years old. It is beautiful and truly magical.

What does the Ospedale delle Bambole represent for the city of Naples today?
Certainly talking about our work means telling an Italian family story, Made in Naples. The tradition of a family that had to invent a craft and made it known to the world, that has become its own entrepreneur and is trying to slow down time. In addition, I have always supported the importance of artistic craftsmanship and I support that present in the city by hosting and sponsoring local activities. For me, a return to the ancient manual crafts is fundamental, in which technique, quality and prestige reside, all irreplaceable ingredients!
For the city, I believe this place represents tradition, the past and the future that manage to merge into the present and that, with no small effort, makes room in the food tourism and cultural disinterest that unfortunately belongs to the average Italian who visits a city like Naples.

What have been the biggest challenges, and what have been the satisfactions, in carrying on a historic atelier like the Ospedale delle Bambole?
The first challenge, as I said before, was gaining the trust of the neighbourhood, I was young and I didn’t imagine it would be difficult. Afterwards, however, it was a great satisfaction to be, like my father, a ‘beacon’ for the people of the historic centre.
It was a great challenge to keep the trade alive, overburdening myself with expenses that I did not know if they would ever return. Fortunately, for the largest investment there was a Neapolitan art benefactor who financed the setting up of the museum, but the difficulties are not few. It took me almost five years to see all my efforts repaid. My satisfaction is seeing the emotion in the eyes and hearts of my visitors and the joy of all the children and ex-children (now adults) who receive their own fixed toy.
Outside the workshop I have a big book of dedications collected over the years: sometimes I go to read it and the thoughts that are imprinted are the reason why I must not give up and push this place and this story to the stars and more. One child on his way out wrote ‘here the heart still beats’ and that is exactly what it is, here the heart will beat forever.

You have just been awarded (September 2024) the title MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere (Master of Arts and Crafts), a biennial recognition by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte to master craftsmen who stand out for their talent, know-how and high competence. What was it like to receive this title?
It was certainly emotional, after receiving the medallion I cried. I struggled to take this workshop even higher than it was and I fought so that the restoration of the toys would not end. To be rewarded because, even today, I still restore toys is for me the recognition of all the effort I have put in, all the dreams and hopes of my father as well. This is priceless. I am really proud of my work and honoured to have received this title.

What are your future plans for the atelier and the museum?
There are still many, many! Fingers crossed, our space will soon be doubled. There will be a larger operating room, a new exhibition and narrative route, a workshop space and a dedicated shop. The ultimate goal is to become a brand and expand into other sectors and, why not, even land abroad. My sons, Michele, Luca and Leonardo, are not and probably will not be restorers but they work with me and are investing their time, studies and skills to realise a dream that is now theirs too. So I know that this place will have a future and will be prosperous!

Simone Cenedese: high craftsmanship and contemporary design in glass, amidst the colours of the Lagoon

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Simone Cenedese inherited his glasswork workshop from his father Giovanni, who founded it in the 1970s in Murano. The company immediately become a renowned excellence in the field of glassworking. Simone, thanks to his talent and inventiveness, and his spirit of innovation, has also made the furnace an international point of reference for many designers who wish to experiment with Murano glass, and give shape to their ideas.
Over the years, the master has developed a unique style, creating original objects with a contemporary taste. His works are pure and brilliant, and are obtained through a secret mixture of minerals. His creations are available in various colours and can be customised on request, even with the application of gold or silver leaf and other special finishes.
The company also creates large avant-garde works that are often exhibited in prestigious public spaces and concept stores. The furnace and the showroom will open their doors to the general public, with guided tours and other experiences, on the occasion of “Homo Faber in Città“, an initiative curated by Fondazione Cologni and the side-event of the great exhibition “Homo Faber: The Journey of Life“.

What is your story and how did you get into glassmaking?
Actually, I could not tell the exact moment when I approached glass. Since I was a child, I was surrounded by the sounds and colors of the furnace, thanks to my father. I have always seen glass being worked and it was natural for me to start doing it myself.

For your work, how important was the bond with the territory and the island of Murano?
It was crucial. My connection with the island of Murano is very strong. It has completely influenced me in all the aspects of my work, not only in terms of professional training.
Everything around me has stimulated and inspired me: the sounds of the tools, the burning ovens, the colours of the lagoon, the scent of salt, the wind, the colours of the sunset. All this is inside my works.

How has your work changed over all these years, from when you started to today?
Our work in recent years has shifted to custom-made production. We often work on request, or starting from the drawing or project of the customer, even for major international fashion brands or for the luxury field, who commission us the production of their objects.

What do you love the most about your work?
I love everything about my work. I am always stimulated by new requests and commissions, and the collaboration with other artists and designers always gives me something new that enriches my professional background.

What is the most important project you have realised so far?
To choose only one project out of all is difficult, because each one is special in its own way. I could say that working on urban installations has always been challenging and exciting for me: for example, so it was for the almost nine-metre high Christmas tree I made in 2006, and the glass comet I made in 2007, both exhibited in Campo Santo Stefano in Murano. The Christmas Tree then travelled, and was exhibited in several Italian cities.

How do you realise your works, what is the process?
I still make my works by following the oldest Murano glassworking techniques. Obviously, some aspects of the process have been adapted to contemporary standards and environmental regulations, but we essentially use the traditional techniques, handed down from father to son. Our artefacts are made of blown glass or solid submerged glass. The latter technique consists of soaking the glass in crucibles with different colours. The result is an object of great thickness, consisting of several layers of coloured glass. The tools have also remained unchanged, for example the “borselle”, special pliers for handling glass, which are made by local craftsmen, along with the rest of the working tools.

“Homo Faber”, an important event dedicated to high craftsmanship to be held from 1st to 30th of September on the Island of San Giorgio (Venice), is approaching. Fondazione Cologni will curate “In Città”, a collateral initiative that will open the doors of Venice’s craft workshops to the public. Will you be organising anything special for this occasion?
We have opened the doors of our workshop to visitors of Homo Faber In Città, to show our art. We will organise guided tours of both the furnace and the showroom, so that the public can see both the manufacturing process and the finished product. In addition, we are currently working on organising dedicated initiatives, also in collaboration with other organisations.

What are your plans for the future?
My plans for the future are always related to Murano glass: I would like to expand my collaborations, improve and refine my working techniques and my experience, to continue to contribute to the dissemination and the enhancement of Murano glass.

Simone Cenedese
Calle Bertolini, 6 – Murano (Venice)
Ph. +39 041 5274455
info@simonecenedese.it
www.simonecenedese.it

Attombri: timeless jewellery, between fashion, design and applied arts

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Attombri is a craft workshop in Venice, where glass, combined with other materials such as copper and silver, becomes costume jewellery and furnishing items.
Since the late 1980s, brothers Stefano and Daniele Attombri have been interpreting the history, techniques and potential of this material in a contemporary way, creating accessories and elements that combine fashion, interior design and applied arts.
They make lamps, decorative and functional objects, but above all extraordinary jewellery: their pieces are all unique and handcrafted, they are whimsical and timeless objets d’art that continue the tradition of Venetian “perlere” (bead makers), combined with techniques of their own invention with Art Nouveau influences.
Their works have been published and exhibited all over the world, from Europe to the United States and Japan. They have won the “New Talent 2006” award of “More”, the Milan jewellery fair. They have collaborated with prestigious companies such as Dolce & Gabbana, Romeo Gigli and Pauly.

What is your story and how did you approach the world of glass?
My brother and I started our business more than 37 years ago in Venice, which was completely different from what it is today.
We were so lucky to join the “Veneziana Conterie” factory in Murano in the early 1990s, just when it was closing down forever. We saw a world that would disappear with the closure of the company, and we realised that our work had to be focused on carrying on that tradition. So we started to buy those beads, to enhance them with a more contemporary design.

How important was the link with the territory and the island of Venice?
Venice and Murano are the life force of our work: surely our story would have been completely different if we had started in another city.
The energy and inspiration we found here cannot be compared with any other place, it is unique and will remain so even with the changes that have transformed and will transform the city over time.

What processing techniques do you mainly use?
We started our work from scratch, we knew nothing. But we always believed in it and, strong in our youth, we worked day and night on our work, inventing our own techniques, which combined metal and glassworking, something that was new in Venice at the time.

Have you ever collaborated with designers, crafters, or other professionals? For what kind of projects?
We have carried out many collaborations over the years. In the early 1990s we created sculpture-jewellery for famous Italian fashion designers, such as Romeo Gigli and Dolce & Gabbana. We have created jewellery for Antonella Ruggero, both for her concerts and for her participation in San Remo. We have also been carrying on a historical collaboration for years with the master Lucio Bubacco, with whom we have created jewellery-sculptures and real sculptures in glass and metal.

Is there any style, work or author you are inspired by or that you particularly appreciate?
Our creations come from occasional inspirations, which may come to us during our travels around the world, or from people we know. Everything is left to chance, we have never liked to take inspiration from other artists.

How important is the design phase in your work?
Actually, as we said about inspiration, we don’t have a structured designing phase. This makes our work unique, and perhaps it is also our strength, because there are still many people who feel unique and are looking for something unique: these are our customers.

“Homo Faber”, an important event dedicated to high craftsmanship to be held from the 1st to the 30th of September on the Island of San Giorgio, is approaching. Fondazione Cologni will curate “In Città”, a collateral initiative that will open the doors of Venice’s workshops to the public. Will you be organising anything special for this occasion?
Homo Faber is a wonderful event that allows a large number of people to get to know high craftsmanship.
We will not organise special events, but we will continue with our daily work: all those who want to come to our atelier in Rialto will be welcome. They will be able to see our creations and discover our world, accompanied by our explanations of techniques and processes. It will be an opportunity to get to know us better and to see how one of our artefacts is made.

 

Attombri
San Polo, 65 – Venice
Ph. +39 041 5212524
attombri@yahoo.it
www.attombri.com

Martina Vidal: the atelier where the Burano lace tradition becomes a living experience.

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Atelier Martina Vidal has been carrying on the Burano lace tradition for four generations now. Founded as a small family-run workshop from an idea of Martina Vidal, the brand now makes luxury lace for the home and person, and has a sumptuous showroom on the island of Burano in the Venetian lagoon.
The collections are the result of passion, experience and creativity, and are strictly Made in Italy, and handmade with quality fabrics.
In addition to the shop and the adjoining Lace Museum, Martina Vidal has set up the Venice Secret Garden: a place for relaxation and pleasure, a garden from which to admire the beauty of the island while enjoying the typical “Buranelli” biscuits. Thanks to the continuous commitment to teaching and disseminating this art, over the years the atelier has become a place where lace is not just a technique to be preserved, but a contemporary experience to be lived in person.

 
What is your story and how did you get into lace-making?
I was born on the island of Burano in Venice, and learnt the technique of needle lace as a child, as it used to be in the past, watching my mother, grandmother and aunts making lace at home. My mother was a lace maker who attended the Burano lace school, which opened in 1872 and closed in 1970. In the 1990s, at the age of almost 18 and with the help of my family, I opened a small lace workshop.

For your work, how important was the bond with the territory and the island of Burano?
When I opened the Vidal family’s first shop, which I called “Artigianato del Merletto da Martina” (Lace craftsmanship by Martina), I fulfilled a dream. The name followed the tradition of the shops in Burano: small businesses, almost entirely run by women, where the name represented a style, a way of making the products. Today, my work, which focuses on the production and sale of household linen, is still very much linked to the values of craftsmanship and well-made, and the desire to create original, high quality collections.

How has the business evolved over four generations?
In the past, lace-making was carried out inside the home and within the family, to help the island’s economy, which was based solely on fishing.
From a small craft workshop, we have become an atelier, where guests and customers can experience the hospitality of Burano, they can see the skilled hands of a lace-maker at work, touch the finest fabrics and order customised embroidery and lace. This is an atelier where lace becomes a contemporary experience to be lived in person.

How is the workshop and production organised to date? How many people assist you?
Today, we produce exclusive, made-to-measure collections for the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, as well as accessories and clothing. Over the years we have carried out a meticoulous research and a strict selection of our suppliers, checking the quality of the raw material, but also the processing methodology and its environmental and social sustainability.
For the production of the typical Burano lace,which is conceived, designed and produced entirely in Atelier Martina Vidal, three collaborators are involved, and two of them are master lacemakers.

Do you carry out any initiatives to promote this important tradition?
Since 2014, we have been organising lace courses and workshops in the atelier. The courses require several days of learning and are usually organised for one or three people at the most, while a workshop can be held in three or four hours, in a single day, and is also intended for groups of several people. In order to promote this tradition, we have also participated in many craft fairs and exhibitions.

“Homo Faber”, an important event dedicated to high craftsmanship to be held from 1st to 30th of September on the Island of San Giorgio (Venice), is approaching. Fondazione Cologni will curate “In Città” , a collateral initiative that will open the doors of Venice’s craft workshops to the public. Will you be organising anything special for this occasion?
Thus year in May, we presented a new experience in the atelier, designed to get the public interested in the art of needle lace, and to offer guests and customers of the atelier an interactive and engaging experience.
“RI-VIVI BURANO” consists of an immersive virtual reality experience through Meta Quest 3 visors and free navigation via teleport method. This experience allows one to virtually travel through the rooms of the past, present and future of the Island of Burano and the Atelier Vidal, and thus to understand the technique of lace-making and its tools, through gamification.
On the occasion of “Homo Faber In Città”, the Atelier Martina Vidal will offer a lace demonstration with its master lace-makers, an explanation of the history and contemporary workmanship, and a virtual journey with “RI-VIVI BURANO” to imagine together the future of lace-making.

Have you ever thought of dedicating yourself to teaching the technique to young people?
Once upon a time, this craft was handed down from mother to daughter and was purely performed within the walls of the home. The girls of Burano did not have many options in the field of work; they knew that the choice to become lacemakers was necessary. Today, it is fundamental that the profession of lacemaker is a choice guided by will, passion and a broader vision.
With the new experience RI-VIVI BURANO we want to start a much more complex project, which will lead to the creation of a globally accessible digital platform with lessons, tutorials and teaching resources. We believe that this new experience will enable us to meet and interact with new audiences, to get even the youngest people interested in the art of lace-making and to encourage a generational shift in the sector.

What would you say to someone who wants to approach this profession?
I would tell them that lace requires passion and dedication, but also a lot of creativity and originality. While the technique has remained unchanged, and it still requires a lot of commitment and time for learning it, today it is possible to combine this tradition with innovation. It is possibile, indeed, to produce a more contemporary version of lace, different from the sumptuous one of the past, and make it even in small dimensions, as an accessory or a detail, which gives beauty and uniqueness to a garment or an object.
This way, lace becomes more usable and accessible even in the making process.

Martina Vidal
Via San Mauro, 309 – Burano (Venice)
Ph. +39 041 735523
info@martinavidal.com
www.martinavidal.com

Timeless harmonies: the Ruffatti Brothers and the everlasting organ tradition

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Fratelli Ruffatti is a craft company of pipe organ builders and restorers. The workshop was established in Padua in 1940, and in a short time, thanks to the skill of their founders and the beauty and quality of their musical instruments, they obtained important commissions not only in Italy, but all over the world: from Europe to Asia, from Africa to the United States.
The company was among the first in the country to undertake the construction of organs using the mechanical system, already in the 1960s. Every component is hand-made in their workshop, with meticulous attention to detail: this allows for maximum quality control and customisation of each instrument.
In 2020, Piero and Francesco Ruffatti, the second generation at the helm of the business, were awarded the accolade “MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” (Master of Arts and Crafts) by Fondazione Cologni.

What is the history of “Fratelli Ruffatti” and how did you approach the world of musical instruments?
The company was founded in 1940 by three partners, the brothers Antonio, Giuseppe and Alessio Ruffatti. After an apprenticeship at the renowned Malvestio company in Padua, which was closing down at the time, they began their journey independently, quickly gaining the trust and appreciation of many organists and customers.
Also thanks to the technical innovations they developed, the fame of the family company Fratelli Ruffatti reached every corner of Italy and, in the 1960s, even established itself on foreign markets, mainly Canada and the United States.
When, in 1968, alongside Antonio, who was the only one left of the three founding partners, his sons Piero and Francesco took over the business, the company gained even greater momentum, especially in export. To this day, in so many years of work, we have built more than six hundred instruments: some of them are huge, and they are across all continents. The main markets, in addition to Italy, are England, Ireland, Sweden, the United States, but also Australia, Korea, Japan, China and other countries.

What does it mean to pass on such an important tradition?
It is a privilege, but also a great responsibility. Especially if we think that Padua has been a documented “City of Organs” since the first half of the 14th Century!

How is an organ made, what is its making process?
The organ is the most complex musical instrument of all. In our workshop, we still use ancient techniques, and try to produce ourselves all the elements that make up the organ. There are very few of us left to do this: for example, among other things, we still cast the slabs ourselves to make our pipes, in tin and lead alloy.

Are there any masters you are inspired by, or a craft company that you particularly appreciate?
Our tradition dates back to the 18th Century Venetian Organ School. We have restored many of these instruments, in particular the ones built by the renowned organ maker Gaetano Callido (1727-1813), who is still an important point of reference for us. At the same time, however, we always try to innovate, by introducing new solutions according to the changing tastes and needs of musicians.

How important is design when making a musical instrument?
The organ is the only non-standardised musical instrument. This means that each instrument is different from all others in terms of size, aesthetic appearance, phonic composition, and it must adapt to ever-changing locations. Therefore, design is a key element. Every aspect of the organ must be designed and built according to the venue where it will be placed: the internal arrangement of its parts, the aesthetic appearance (which depends also on the architectural characteristics of the environment) and the composition of its ranks, i.e. the pitches and timbres.

What is the most important, or most challenging, project you have done so far?
There are many of them. The largest in size is an instrument made for Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, near Los Angeles. It has over 16,000 pipes, it is the size of an apartment building and it is among the five largest organs in the world. Other largew instruments include the five-keyboard organ for the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra hall and the six-keyboard organ for the Basilica of Monreale (Palermo).

How do you combine tradition and innovation in your work?
Even though we come from an important tradition, it is necessary to consider that the organ is an instrument in continuous evolution. So, at least for us, it is unthinkable to design and create instruments exclusively according to the criteria of the past. For this reason, in recent years we have also collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institut in Stuttgart, in order to seek new solutions to increasingly improve the technical and phonic performance of the instruments.

 

Fratelli Ruffatti
Via Facciolati, 166 – Padua
+39 049 750666
michela@ruffatti.com
www.ruffatti.com