September in Venice brings a new opportunity to discover Italian fine craftsmanship up close. As part of Homo Faber in Città 2026, Artemest presents Ca’ Riflesso, an immersive project that transforms a historic residence in the city into a space shaped by the rhythm of artisanal savoir-faire, where every room tells a story of materials, time, and craftsmanship. Among the works selected for the project is a collection of cushions by Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua.
A Home, an Imaginary Collector
Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest was conceived as an exercise in restraint and attentive observation. Not an exhibition in the traditional sense, but a home: that of an imaginary collector who, over time, has gathered carefully selected pieces within Casa Sanlorenzo, in Dorsoduro, moving them around and sometimes deliberately leaving them unfinished. It is an invitation to slow down and allow the eye to linger, without haste, on every surface, every volume, every glimmer of light.
The building, restored by Piero Lissoni’s studio, preserves the memory of its own history, including the period when it served as a private residence in the late 1940s, while bringing that history into dialogue with a contemporary language defined by clarity, space, and silence. This setting provides the backdrop for the selection curated by Artemest: more than fifty creators, with works ranging from Murano glass to furniture, lighting, and textiles, brought together in a single intimate, domestic narrative that places tradition and innovation in dialogue. Among them, Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua is represented by a selection of handmade cushions.
Giardino Antico and Art Nouveau Cushions at Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest – Ph Manfredi Gioacchini
Bevilacqua Cushions: Six Expressions of Venetian Textile Art
In the rooms of Ca’ Riflesso, Bevilacqua decorative cushions become a focal point that draws the eye. Each one is made by Venetian artisans, who work with the historic fabrics of the textile house using techniques passed down through generations. Velvets capture the light and return it in soft, richly textured surfaces; lampas feature luminous patterns that have fascinated for centuries with their chromatic richness. Each cushion carries its own design, period, and distinct artisanal technique.
Giardino Antico Velvet Cushion, turquoise. A multicolored velvet featuring the characteristic “garden” motif, unfolding a dense and luminous botanical composition, exceptionally rich in details and colors.
Giardino Antico Velvet Cushion, Turquoise – 60x45cm
Lune Velvet Cushion, sky blue and jade. Lune velvet translates into fabric the energy and fluidity of the figures associated with Art Deco, the style that inspired it: lines move, bend, and chase one another across the surface.
Lune Velvet Cushion, Sky Blue – 45x45cm
Lune Velvet Cushion, Jade – 60x30cm
Capri Velvet Cushion, jade. Inspired by the seascapes surrounding one of Italy’s most beloved islands, Capri velvet reinterprets the transparency and movement of water through an Art Deco lens, capturing them in a compact weave.
Capri Velvet Cushion, Jade – 45x45cm
Art Nouveau Soprarizzo Velvet Cushion, red. Handwoven on eighteenth-century looms, this velvet brings the elegance of late nineteenth-century Art Nouveau to life: iris flowers framed by long, slender leaves, rendered in a relief that soprarizzo velvet conveys with particular depth.
Art Nouveau Handmade Soprarizzo Velvet Cushion, Red – 60x30cm
Three Crowns Lampas Cushion, jade. Designed in the early twentieth century by Swedish artist Maja Sjöström, this lampas interprets nature through the Art Nouveau sensibility that, during those same years, spread across Northern Europe and Venice.
Three Crowns Lampas Cushion, Jade – 45x45cm
Glicine Velvet Cushion, petrol blue. Inspired by the sinuous motifs of Art Nouveau, the Glicine (wisteria) design creates soft, enveloping floral forms in relief, reminiscent of clusters of blossoms. In petrol blue, the velvet takes on an iridescent depth that enhances the pattern with every change in light.
Glicine Velvet Cushion, Petrol Blue – 45x45cm
Homo Faber in Città, Between Venice and Its Islands
Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest is hosted by Sanlorenzo Arts at Casa Sanlorenzo, Dorsoduro, as part of Homo Faber in Città, a citywide program of events throughout Venice accompanying Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light, the international exhibition promoted by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, held on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Beyond the island and Venice, visitors are also invited to discover craftsmanship in Burano and Murano, through a series of exhibitions and events across the islands.
Under the creative direction of Ippolita Rostagno, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Artemest, the project invites visitors to reflect, in the most literal sense of the word, on the relationship between light, materials, and the human hand: a theme that finds a natural resonance in Venice, where light is constantly transformed as it moves across the water and the surfaces of the city.
Bevilacqua Cushions at Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest – Ph Manfredi Gioacchini
Ca’ Riflesso by Artemest at Homo Faber in Città 2026. An immersive project that brings the world of Italian craftsmanship to life with Venetian artistry at its heart.
Casa Sanlorenzo, Dorsoduro 170, Venice
September 1-30, 10am – 7pm
For information about the cushions, please contact bevilacqua@luigi-bevilacqua.com
Cover photo: Tobias Kempe
