The fourth edition of Homo Faber Biennial takes place throughout September on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. Titled Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light, the exhibition’s central theme is light and the relationship of this medium to material and the skilled hands of human artists. How can the life-giving energy of light be captured, transformed, and given back by artisans? To explore these questions, Artistic Director Es Devlin has conceived 15 immersive installations. On display will be more than 700 objects created by artisans from over 70 countries. The breadth of disciplines ranges from glassblowing and ceramics to paper and textile arts, goldsmithing, mosaic work and gilding.
A Moon Made Entirely of Jars Rises from Still Water
IWC Schaffhausen’s artwork forms part of the installation “A Full Moon Rising”, housed in the Piscina Gandini, an indoor swimming pool dating from 1961. At the center of the pool, visitors encounter an illuminated semicircular structure. Reflected in the still water, it appears as a complete circle – a full moon filled entirely with moon jars. Developed in the 18th century during Korea’s Joseon dynasty, these spherical porcelain vessels take their name from their perfectly round shape and milky-white glaze. The moon also holds a special significance for IWC. Moon phase displays have been an integral part of the collection for more than four decades, including as a key indication of the perpetual calendar. Over the years, IWC has continuously enhanced their precision, culminating in a world record held by the Portugieser Eternal Calendar: a moon phase display with a deviation of just one day in more than 45 million years.
To create the moon jars, IWC collaborated with Laurin Schaub, one of Switzerland’s most celebrated ceramic artists, whose practice moves fluently between the potter’s wheel and contemporary fabrication techniques. Winner of the 2018 Swiss Design Award, Schaub’s work is held, among others, in the collections of the Museum für Gestaltung in Zurich and the Musée Ariana in Geneva.
For the three moon jars for Homo Faber 2026 – two of which will be displayed in the Piscina Gandini, the third in IWC’s Venice boutique – Laurin Schaub developed a special glaze technique directly inspired by IWC’s proprietary Ceralume® luminous ceramic technology.
“As light is the central theme of this year’s exhibition, we felt it was the ideal platform to showcase our comprehensive expertise in materials. Just as our engineers have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in ceramics with Ceralume®, Laurin Schaub has taken traditional pottery to a new level with his luminous glaze. By translating the complexity of Ceralume® into an artistic expression, his Moon Jars are not only a testament to his talent, but also perfectly embody the innovative spirit that is at the heart of IWC,” says Christian Knoop, Creative Director of IWC Schaffhausen
A Hidden Message, Revealed in Darkness
For creating the moon jars, Laurin Schaub uses so-called Nerikomi. Using this traditional Japanese layering technique, clays of different colors are painstakingly worked by hand into a single sheet. Afterwards, the sheet is pressed into a spherical mold and fired in the kiln. For the exterior of the jars, Laurin Schaub drew inspiration from the crater-pocked face of the moon. Onto this, he then applied a luminous glaze containing Super-LumiNova® pigments. To find the right composition, he had to conduct countless tests, varying both the mixing ratios and firing temperatures. In darkness, the glaze reveals the inscription “Lux Perpetua” on the surface of each jar. Latin for “Perpetual Light”, it is both a reference to IWC’s legacy of perpetual calendar complications and to the brand’s proprietary Ceralume® technology.
“What made this collaboration special was the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of IWC’s Ceralume® technology. The challenge of translating such a complex material innovation into an artistic expression was truly inspiring. Like the breakthrough achieved by IWC’s engineers, the luminous glaze on the moon jars is the result of countless trials and experimentation. I am proud of the outcome and already look forward to demonstrating my techniques in person in Venice,” adds Laurin Schaub
The Latest Chapter in IWC’s Ceramic Journey
Representing one of IWC’s most recent material breakthroughs, Ceralume® was developed over several years. The key innovation lies in a dedicated ball-milling process that achieves a homogeneous mixture of ceramic powders and Super-LumiNova®. Engineered by Swiss technology company RC Tritec, these photoluminescent pigments act like a light storage battery. They absorb light energy from sunlight or artificial light, temporarily store it and then release it as a vivid glow in the dark. The same innovative material also forms the case of the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Ceralume®, limited to 250 pieces and launched at Watches and Wonders Geneva in April 2026. At its newly opened Venice boutique, IWC’s first fully luminous Big Pilot’s Watch is displayed alongside one of Laurin Schaub’s moon jars.
About Laurin Schaub
Born in Switzerland in 1984, Laurin Schaub began his career with a pottery apprenticeship in Willisau. After graduating from the Keramik Design Fachklasse at Schule für Gestaltung Bern in 2008, he expanded his experience by working in traditional manufactories and by developing his own creative language. In 2014, he completed a postgraduate course in contemporary ceramics at CERCCO, the ceramics department at the HEAD Design School in Geneva. Laurin Schaub has received several awards for his work. In 2022, he won the Prix FEMS (Fondation Edouard et Maurice Sandoz), and in 2018, he received a Swiss Design Award. After teaching at Keramik Design Fachklasse in Bern for several years, he is currently concentrating on his work as a designer in his studio and for the label PUUL. Laurin Schaub consistently pursues contemporary questions about design, exploring the tension between traditional craftsmanship and new technology. His work is represented by the galleries NOV (Geneva) and Nendo Gallery (Marseille, France). Laurin Schaub lives and works in Büren zum Hof in the canton of Bern (Switzerland).
About Homo Faber Biennial
Homo Faber Biennial is an international celebration of contemporary craftsmanship in Venice, curated by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship. The flagship project of Homo Faber, a cultural movement centred on creative artisans worldwide, it brings together the work of hundreds of master artisans, rising stars and designers in the magnificent setting of Fondazione Giorgio Cini. homofaber.com
The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship is a non-profit institution based in Geneva which champions contemporary craftspeople worldwide with the aim of promoting a more human, inclusive and sustainable future. The Foundation seeks to highlight the connections between craft, the wider arts and the design world. Its mission is to both celebrate and preserve craftsmanship and its diversity of makers, materials and techniques by increasing craft’s everyday recognition and its viability as a professional path for the next generations. The Foundation presents Homo Faber, a cultural movement centred on creative artisans worldwide. Its signature projects comprise: Homo Faber NextGen, a suite of education programs for the next generations of artisans; Homo Faber Guide, an online platform showcasing artisans around the world; Homo Faber Finds, which identifies craft excellence and proposes imaginative ideas to inspire collaborations, private commissions and acquisitions; and a yearly programme of events including flagship celebration Homo Faber Biennial and curated exhibition series Homo Faber Capsule.
