Suspended above the imposing stairs to the Palladian Refectory is an installation of paper sculptures created by the Chinese artist Wen Qiuwen, based on sketches of Venetian birds drawn by Es Devlin and her team. These kestrels, egrets, herons, terns, and more are illuminated like lanterns in a tribute to both Venice and the delicate translucency of paper. At the top of the stairs, in the ambulacrum of the Palladian Refectory, a free participative laboratory invites visitors to try their hand at the ancient Japanese craft of origami. Guided by a master origami artist, they learn how to fold paper into an elegant white flower. Each creation is added to an installation that blooms over the course of the exhibition into a beautiful piece of floral art created by visitors to Homo Faber 2026.