From 11 to 13 September, the 32nd edition of Artigianato e Palazzo takes over the historic Giardino Corsini in Florence. Organisers have selected 100 artisans and young designers to explore the central theme of reconnecting with nature. The event highlights physical practices rooted in material recovery and traditional techniques. Visitors will find highly specific work across the grounds, including eyewear carved from natural horn, fabrics dyed with plant-based woad, and furniture built from reclaimed wood.
Artex: Between Nature and Artifice
Within the wider fair, the Artex Galleria dell’Artigianato project presents a dedicated collective exhibition. Curated by Jean Blanchaert with exhibition design by Studio Lavanguardia, Between Nature and Artifice occupies the Spazio Focus. The showcase brings together 22 Tuscan craft enterprises to examine how makers physically transform raw materials into finished objects. The display features ceramics, mosaics, and textiles that retain a strong visual and material link to the natural world.
Installations and Ceramic Traditions
The palace gardens will host several live installations. Land artist Michel Vecchi presents Bosco Sonoro (Sound Forest), an audio walk leading visitors through 25 mushroom shaped sculptures carved directly from fallen trees. Designer Jonathan Bocca has created a large organic structure that winds through the grounds, and visitors can watch the live construction of a bamboo pavilion by CanyaLab. Inside the palace, a solo exhibition celebrates Antonietta Mazzotti Emaldi, the veteran maker of Faenza ceramics. Her display includes wheel-thrown majolica vessels finished with pure gold leaf and white clay pieces from her various collections.
Next Generation and Social Inclusion
The programme also makes space for emerging makers and social cooperatives. The Next Generation area features young practitioners like weaver Simone Falli, who works with self-built wooden looms and plant pigments, and Lapo Giusti, who experiments with crystalline glazes on stoneware. A separate section focuses on craft as a tool for social integration. Participating groups include Cooperativa Alice, which runs tailoring workshops in prisons, and a collective supporting handmade ceramics produced by women in the Tunisian village of Sejnane.
photos: Il Giardino Corsini di Firenze, sede della mostra ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO Ph Dario Garofalo; Il Giardino Corsini di Firenze, sede della mostra ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO Ph Dario Garofalo; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO 2026 Thòlos di CanyaLab, struttura in bambù tra sostenibilità e artigianato, realizzata come cantiere aperto durante la manifestazione; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO 2026 “Next Generation” Ozio Piccolo Studio Tessile; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO 2026 “Linfa” realizzata dal designer Jonathan Bocca Artigianato e Palazzo XXXII: la installazione esce dal Palazzo Corsini; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO, Limonaia Grandi Maestri Ph Michele Monasta; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO 2026 “Artigiano espositore Fiori di Carta, Paperize; ARTIGIANATO E PALAZZO 2026 “Artigiano espositore Fiori di Carta, Paperize.