Visitors will explore the many faces of a contemporary mosaic workshop: the mosaic Master Artisans Alessandra Di Gennaro and Romuald Mesdagh will introduce this ancient craft, showing the works in progress on their tables. Participants will discover the different stages of realization of a mosaic. The Masters will begin by cutting the “tesserae” (tiles) in “smalto” (glass), marble or gold leaf with a hammer, then they will illustrate the various stages of realization, from an image to the finished piece, explaining the techniques a mosaic maker can use: from the ancient ones, Roman and Byzantine, to the innovative methods.
Bringing history up to dateAlessandra di Gennaro (born in Rome) and Romuald Mesdagh (born in Belgium) met at the Mosaicists school of Friuli, the only school in the world that offers students the possibility to pursue the title of Master Mosaicist. The school welcomes 80 students from all over the world and lasts three years; both Di Gennaro and Mesdagh describe it as the pivotal moment in their education and in their career, a period in which they were allowed to experiment and explore different paths, provided with the material (which is extremely expensive) and trained to work collaboratively in groups. All the innovations to the mosaicists' techniques have evolved within this school, mostly since the 1990s: it is easy for them to detect who has attended the Mosaicists school and who is self-taught.
A free audio guide, available to stream from 10 April to 1 May, will enhance your experience of Homo Faber in Citta. Discover more about Venice, its crafts workshops and its heritage as a city of craftsmanship, to complement your personal tour.
ListenPlease stay informed about the latest Covid safety requirements in Venice and comply with any requests from the venues you visit, to ensure the safety of yourself and the participating artisans.
Make sure you arrive on time at each venue (although no more than ten minutes early), to make the most of your experience and the artisan’s time. Please call the venue ahead of time if you are likely to be late.
Please let us know if you wish to cancel your booking so that we may offer the opportunity to another visitor. Cancel or rebook directly on your account or via your confirmation or reminder email. If cancelling on the day of your event, kindly inform the venue by telephone.