Trailer: If you love Venice

11/14/22 • 4 min

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.com

In the Spring of 2022, sound specialist Mike Axinn and I went to Venice during Homo Faber, an event created by the Michelangelo Foundation to celebrate master craftsmanship.

We wanted to discover more about the community of younger artisans in Venice - what brought them there, and why they liked it.

First we met Piero Dri, a remer who makes oars and oarlocks, or as the Italians call them, ‘forcolai’. Since he learnt to row aged 4, rowing has been his passion.

Release date: 16 November 2022

Then we chatted with Austrian-born shoemaker Gabriele Gmeiner who makes high quality shoes to measure in her workshop at Campiello del Sol. She speaks of her craft, her journey from Austria, and why she chose Venice.

Release date: 30 November 2022

Finally we had an illuminating talk with furniture restorer Alvise Boccanegra, who painstakingly repaired a crucifix which was found floating in the church of San Moisè after the floods of November 2019.

Release date: 14 December 2022

All three young artisans bring a fresh energy to the community and discuss the materials they choose with a keen eye on sustainability, re-use and repair.

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.com

In the Spring of 2022, sound specialist Mike Axinn and I went to Venice during Homo Faber, an event created by the Michelangelo Foundation to celebrate master craftsmanship.

We wanted to discover more about the community of younger artisans in Venice - what brought them there, and why they liked it.

First we met Piero Dri, a remer who makes oars and oarlocks, or as the Italians call them, ‘forcolai’. Since he learnt to row aged 4, rowing has been his passion.

Release date: 16 November 2022

Release date: 30 November 2022

Release date: 14 December 2022

All three young artisans bring a fresh energy to the community and discuss the materials they choose with a keen eye on sustainability, re-use and repair.

Previous Episode

Marianna Blier: Home

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.com

Marianna Blier was born in Astrakhan, Russia but moved to Vienna in 2007. She now divides her time between her atelier in Vienna, Austria and her marble studios in Carrara, Italy.

Eminent Californian photographer Gail Skoff introduced Marianna, and when I followed Gail on one of her photography trips, Marianna was standing on a table top, in a large workshop in the centre of Carrara. Wearing goggles and earmuffs she was leaning over a tall sculpture, carving the final touches.

Marianna got a PhD in economics and started out in business. But her true passion was always art and finally she made the jump from finance to becoming a full-time artist.

She speaks about the importance of creativity to all people. At her Austrian company she founded a project to display the art of employees from all over the world. She continues to manage this project and tells how it played a role supporting the influx of Ukrainian refugees in the past year.

Thanks to Gail Skoff for this collaboration and for the fantastic photographs of Marianna.

All photos: Gail Skoff, gailskoff.com – instagram.com/skoffupclose

mariannablier.com

instagram.com/bliermarianna

Next Episode

Piero Dri: Venice — Rowing through time

See pictures and read more on materiallyspeaking.com

Piero Dri is the fourth and youngest remer in Venice, making oars and oarlocks - or in Italian ‘forcolai’. Since he learnt to row aged 4, rowing has been his passion.

I came to Venice with sound specialist Mike Axinn for a special Venice series of Materially Speaking, during the Homo Faber celebration of artisans, in April 2022. We met three young artisans who are now bringing a fresh energy to the community with a particular eye on repair, re-use and sustainability.

Venice is an extraordinary Island city with a rich history, magnificent art and great beauty. However there are no cars and a frail infrastructure. And of course there are the tourists. So we were keen to discover what these artisans bring to Venice and why they like to call it home.

Piero’s vibrant personality has earned him the name of the ‘mad forcolai maker’ and so his workshop is called ‘Il Forcolaio Matto.’ As we arrive, Piero is opening up his shop - hooking flower boxes onto his window cill, and leaning a red and white striped oar against the wall.

He tells us how it was growing up in Venice, and how he escaped to the lagoon when he needed some peace, and to be with nature. He tells us of his studies as an astronomer and how he then changed direction and became an artisan.

Piero’s workshops have painted and varnished oars suspended from the ceiling. He speaks about the different woods he uses and the boat community in Venice.

In one window is a display of decorative forcolai, which hold their own as art objects in a variety of gorgeous woods. He speaks of a competition where he created a forcolai to express the natural beauty of the lagoon (see green and yellow forcolai below).

ilforcolaiomatto.it

instagram.com/ilforcolaiomatto