Metamorfosi di una collezione | Fondazione dell’Albero d’Oro

1 – 30 September 2026

Thursday—Monday
10 am—1 pm / 2 pm—6 pm
Free admission

From 1 to 30 September 2026, on the occasion of the fourth edition of Homo Faber, Fondazione dell’Albero d’Oro presents Metamorphosis of a Collection at Palazzo Vendramin Grimani, an exhibition that brings into dialogue the historical heritage of the Fondation Etrillard and the creativity of a new generation of artisans and designers from Paris's École Boulle.

Tuesday, 1 September, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, exceptional opening with guided tours led by students from the École Boulle, who will present the works they have created. Book now

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between Fondazione dell’Albero d’Oro, the Fondation Etrillard and the École Boulle. It brings together twelve contemporary works created by the students participating in the Collection source d’inspiration prize, alongside two masterpieces from the Fondation Etrillard collection, outstanding examples of eighteenth-century European decorative arts. Designed by the students of the École Boulle themselves, the exhibition transforms the ground floor of Palazzo Vendramin Grimani into a journey showing how a historic collection can continue to inspire new forms of artistic research and experimentation.

Among the historical works on display are a pair of lapis lazuli and gilt-bronze candelabra vases, attributed to Jean-Étienne Forestier (1770–1780), and the monumental tapestry Narcissus and Echo, woven by the Royal Gobelins Manufactory after a design by Antoine Dieu following 1714. Inspired by these masterpieces, the students have created a series of works that reinterpret their materials, symbols and narratives through the language of contemporary design and craftsmanship.

Candelabra Vases
Jean-Étienne Forestier
c. 1770–1780
57 × 24 cm
Lapis lazuli, gilt and patinated bronze

This pair of candelabra vases from the Fondation Etrillard is a unique model combining lapis lazuli with gilt bronze. The large lapis lazuli vases are surmounted by five-light gilt bronze candelabra emerging from three ram’s heads. The candle sockets rest on vine leaves and a basket filled with bunches of grapes and pomegranates, or persimmons, fruits that had been known in Europe since the early seventeenth century. In a rare gesture for works of this kind, the bronzier Jean-Étienne Forestier signed the base.

Narcissus and Echo
Royal Gobelins Manufactory, after a design by Antoine Dieu (1662–1727)
After 1714
320 × 230 cm
Wool, silk

Narcissus and Echo belongs to the celebrated Metamorphoses of Ovid tapestry series, one of the Royal Gobelins Manufactory's greatest achievements of the eighteenth century. Several renowned painters, including Antoine Dieu, were commissioned to produce the preparatory designs. The tapestry depicts the tragic and unattainable love between the nymph Echo, condemned by Hera to repeat only the last words she hears, and the hunter Narcissus, fated to love only his own reflection until he wastes away and dies.

The exhibition unfolds across four thematic sections—Resurgence, Fragmentation, Embodiment, and Emanation—guiding visitors through different ways in which cultural heritage can be reinterpreted and transformed.

Resurgence revisits the uses and rituals of the past through works dedicated to conviviality, light and fragrance, giving everyday objects a contemporary dimension. Fragmentation explores the idea of metamorphosis by deconstructing images and meanings, drawing inspiration from the myth of Narcissus and Echo to reflect on identity and perception in the digital age. Embodiment brings together material, nature and craftsmanship, transforming historical works into living, dynamic presences. Finally, Emanation reveals how works from the past continue to generate new narratives, with water serving as a unifying thread that evokes myths, emotions and memories.

Among the highlights is En Deux Temps by Agathe Quissac, winner of the Collection source d'inspiration 2024–2026 prize. Inspired by the Fondation Etrillard's candelabra vases, this kinetic wall piece connects eighteenth-century heritage with contemporary creation through the themes of duality and movement.

The exhibition is also the outcome of the Collection source d'inspiration programme, launched in 2022 by the Fondation Etrillard in partnership with the École Boulle. The initiative invites students to engage with works from the Fondation's collection, using them as the starting point for new creations that reinterpret their meaning for the present day.

Metamorphosis of a Collection reflects the Fondazione dell'Albero d'Oro's commitment to fostering dialogue between cultural heritage, education and contemporary artistic research, demonstrating how historic collections can continue to inspire knowledge, experimentation and new forms of creative expression.

Discover more about the Collection source d'inspiration programme