Say nothing and saw more wood
A visit to the workshop of Venetian furniture restorer Alvise Boccanegra is like watching a magician at work! He can talk you through the more conventional side of his wood working expertise, in which he works with inlay, carving and turning, but he will also explain how humble ingredients such as milk, egg or casein tempera can be used to transform a piece. The execution of a faux wood or faux marble are both tricks he has up his sleeve, likewise the different techniques of gilding, alcohol varnishes and French polishing. He will guide you through some of his techniques, depending on what interests you.
Alvise Boccanegra
Furniture restoringWhen restoration is a way of lifeAfter a few years at university, where he studied chemistry applied to conservation, Alvise Boccanegra understood that he had different dreams. So he made contact with a restoration workshop inside the Curia of San Marco, where he met his master, Maximilian Leuthenmayr, and where he remained for the next seven years. He credits his master for having "a deep desire to convey his knowledge, while normally craftsmen don't reveal their secrets". A few years later, Alvise set up on his own. "It was hard at the beginning, when I opened my workshop," he says. "It’s not that easy to convince customers to trust you. Now I can’t complain, there’s so much work."
Where you'll be
30125, Venice
