Nine BA (Hons) Stone Carving students from the Art School have contributed a major collaborative work to the 2026 Homo Faber Biennial in Venice, under the creative direction of artist Es Devlin. Students Bradley Childs, Eshraq Alabrash, Henry Cattermole, Thomas Hancock, Phoebe Basset, Oliver Cronshaw, Thomas Pullen, Klarissa Katz and George Phillips collaborated on the carving of Silent Song 1, a collaborative stone work created for this year’s Homo Faber Biennial at Fondazione Giorgio Cini on San Giorgio Maggiore.
Carved from a slab of Moleanos limestone, Silent Song 1 translates Devlin’s original concept into stone through a spiral of diminishing ellipses. As the spaces between the forms become tighter towards the centre, the composition creates a visual sense of rhythm gradually fading into silence.
For the students, the project provided an opportunity to work collectively on a major international project while applying the traditional techniques at the heart of their course. Collaboration was central to the development of the work, with all nine students contributing to the carving of a single piece of stone.
Silent Song 1 forms part of the fourth edition of the Homo Faber Biennial, titled An Island of Light. Curated and creatively directed by Es Devlin, the 2026 edition brings together more than 500 artisans from 70 countries, presenting hundreds of works across the historic buildings and grounds of Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Devlin’s exhibition design explores the relationship between light, materials and the human hand. Inspired by the islands of the Venetian lagoon, the Biennial brings together individual makers and their work as part of a wider exploration of craftsmanship, skill and creativity.
Twenty Silent Song artworks, representing the vibrations of 20 bells, are displayed around the cloister walls at Fondazione Giorgio Cini. Each has been created in a different craft by a maker from a different country, showcasing a diverse range of skills, techniques, cultural influences and artistic visions.
The works include textile weaving from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, straw marquetry from Denmark, woodcarving from Saudi Arabia and stained glass from Australia. Together, they demonstrate the breadth of international craftsmanship while revealing the shared inspirations and creative connections that unite makers around the world, we are proud to represent the histories of stone carving in the United Kingdom through our participation.
We would like to extend our thanks to Homo Faber, the Michelangelo Foundation and Es Devlin for the opportunity to be involved in this project. The 2026 Homo Faber Biennial is open at Fondazione Giorgio Cini on San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice, until 30 September 2026.
