Homo Faber Guide is a signature project developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, an international non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, which was set up in 2016 thanks to the intuition of Franco Cologni and Johann Rupert. The Michelangelo Foundation’s mission is to celebrate and preserve master craftsmanship, and for this reason it has created a map of the most significant representatives in this field, with the aim of connecting all its protagonists: artisans, designers, gallery owners, art curators, collectors and enthusiasts of high-quality handmade pieces.

This section of Homo Faber Guide is dedicated to the discovery of artisans, ateliers and manufacturers. Browse the profiles of master artisans and rising talents from Europe and beyond who exemplify excellence. Find out about them through interviews and images which reveal their individual stories, techniques and objects and have the chance to contact them directly. Learn the addresses of ateliers dedicated to different crafts and of esteemed manufacturers.

This section of Homo Faber Guide showcases galleries, shops and museums which you can visit. Find the addresses in each city of galleries exhibiting contemporary craftsmanship and shops selling the masterpieces of the artisans featured in the guide. The museums shown in the guide have been handpicked for their links to craftsmanship and for the exquisite collections they have on display.

This section of Homo Faber Guide reveals a treasure trove of courses, workshop tours and events you can participate in. Master classes and workshops run by master artisans allow you to try your hand at multiple crafts from glass blowing and jewellery making to straw marquetry. Organise to go behind the scenes and take a guided tour of a master artisan’s workshop in a city you are visiting. Find out about temporary events linked to craftsmanship and design taking place across Europe and beyond.

All the artisans and small workshops featured in Homo Faber Guide have been carefully researched and selected. They are presented and narrated through a selection of images and an interview, which allows readers to immerse themselves in the universe of these makers who exemplify excellence in their individual fields or are promising talents of the future. Find masters and rising stars who share the same passion and determination, and whose workshops are ready to share their secrets with visitors.

The artisans featured in Homo Faber Guide have been selected in a meticulous assessment process based on the eleven criteria for excellence identified by Alberto Cavalli, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation, in the volume The Master’s Touch, written with researchers Giuditta Comerci and Giovanna Marchello. The members of the Michelangelo Foundation’s network who have been invited to participate in selecting masters to be featured in the guide were provided with an evaluation tool based on the eleven criteria. In this way, they identify the most suitable masters to be included in the project.

Homo Faber Guide features artisans, museums, galleries, ateliers, and shops recommended by our partners and selected by the Michelangelo Foundation. Each entry has been validated by a cultural council composed of 30 members, the directors or representatives of an equal number of associations and institutions, which are part of the international network created and promoted by the Michelangelo Foundation. The Cultural Council, which meets at least once a year to share visions, ideas and strategies, is in charge of monitoring the quality of the names represented in the guide and of ensuring that they effectively reflect the eleven criteria for excellence that stand behind all the activities of the Michelangelo Foundation.

Are you an artisan or a small workshop? Would you like to be featured in Homo Faber Guide? The Michelangelo Foundation appreciates personal initiative and is pleased to evaluate new members to be included in the guide or in other projects. Thanks to the Master’s Touch Evaluation Tool, every artisan can send their application: click here to register and access a questionnaire that will enable you to discover if you fulfill the eleven criteria for excellence that stand behind all the activities of the Michelangelo Foundation. If your answers reach the minimum requirement, your application will be brought to our attention; if, on the contrary, you should score below the minimum requirement, we will let you know how to improve your business, in order to participate in the future initiatives of the Michelangelo Foundation.

A master is an accomplished artisan who on top of possessing several years of experience in his or her field is also engaged in passing his or her expertise on to the younger generations, in keeping with one of the key values of the Michelangelo Foundation: the transmission of knowledge.

A rising star is an artisan who has been active for fewer years, but who is nonetheless capable of expressing his or her craft with competence, creativity and originality. Whether self-taught or apprentice, the rising star represents the future of craftsmanship with his or her novel take.

Discover the addresses of esteemed manufacturers, well known for producing high quality crystal glass, porcelain or metal ware. Read their stories and find out where you can shop their contemporary pieces, see their archive collections and even in some cases visit their workshops. Find exceptional ateliers where artisans collaborate creatively to create fine pieces of craftsmanship. Reach out to them to commission something special.

Find museums handpicked for their links to contemporary craftsmanship and the exquisite collections they have on display. In each city, discover a museum of interest and organise your visit. From Italian museums displaying coral collections, glass pieces and ceramics to decorative art museums in Russia and Greece, marvel at the variety of museums exhibiting masterpieces, showcasing techniques and recounting histories.

Homo Faber Guide provides you with a selection of the best addresses in each city, where you will be able to discover and purchase exceptional objects created by the artisans featured in the Homo Faber Guide and many more.

Are you eager to discover a city through craftsmanship? Are you willing to dedicate a few hours to visit an applied arts museum or to try your hand at a craft with one of the masters featured in our guide? Browse the section dedicated to experiences and find your next one.

Although the Michelangelo Foundation researches the talents for its projects autonomously, the collaboration of our ambassadors is fundamental. Over 70 associations, schools, institutions allow us to map the continents and to have partners in each country who share our vision and goals. In particular, we have asked well-known personalities in the craft, design and art world to be our ambassadors in the cities where they live, so that their recommendations can offer a unique insight into craftsmanship in the major cities of Europe and beyond.

Homo Faber Guide is an online portal dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship which showcases artisans, ateliers, museums, galleries, shops and experiences. Create your own profile for access to exclusive features on Homo Faber Guide: save your preferred pages, leave recommendations for your favourite artisans and much more.