Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was presented at Homo Faber 2024: The Journey of Life, the third edition of the international exhibition organised by the Michelangelo Foundation at Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice. Bringing together hundreds of artisans and makers from around the world, the exhibition explored significant moments in a human life through the lens of contemporary craftsmanship, with each room dedicated to a different stage within the wider journey.
Townsend’s sculpture was selected for the section exploring love, where it was exhibited amongst works centred on flowers and the symbolic meanings they carry. Referencing the biblical Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the work introduced questions of cultivation, responsibility, and our dependence upon the ecological systems that sustain us into a space shaped by ideas of care, attachment, and human relationships.
Designed by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino and architect Nicolò Rosmarini, Homo Faber 2024 transformed the historic spaces of San Giorgio Maggiore into an immersive sequence of exhibitions, combining exceptional craftsmanship with contemporary making and richly theatrical settings. The invitation marked Townsend’s second participation in Homo Faber, following her selection as a master artisan for Living Treasures of Europe and Japan in 2022.
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Installation view of Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Love section of Homo Faber 2024. During installation, a member of the curatorial team remarked that “behind love there is always some poison,” a reflection that echoed the work’s intertwining of beauty, desire, and consequence.
