Guided Tours — Guided Tours
28.05.2022
An opportunity to visit the Forms of drinking exhibition in the InGalleria Art Galler space with the possibility of having lunch at the Vetri Restaurant in Punta Conterie.
Reservations required – limited places
Saturday 28 May 2022 at 11 am
InGalleria c / o Punta Conterie, Fondamenta Giustinian, 1 – Murano, Venice
T +39 041 527 5174
ingalleria@puntaconterie.com
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“Glass and Design” curated by Caterina Toso is the second exhibition at InGalleria Art Gallery in Punta Conterie. Inaugurated on February 1st, 2020.
This project is a journey back to the 20th century in Murano and explores its design to discover works and drawings that made the history of glass in the world.
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The exhibition presents – through a chronological itinerary – over 50 artistic glasses made between 1910 and 1980 by nine Murano glass factories selected by the curator: Fratelli Toso, Barovier & Toso, SALIR, Venini, A.Ve.M, Seguso Vetri d’Arte, Aureliano Toso Glassworks, Vistosi, Galliano Ferro.
The exhibition showcases iconic works not only from the glass factories but also from the period of manufacturing. Moreover, there are designers’ drawings telling their story – sketches, preparatory drawings, drawings for the furnace, definitive post-production drawings, transparencies for catalogs – and, if not available, some historical photos, details and curiosities are presented.
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The exhibited artworks, all original glasses, come from some of the main Italian and international private collections, including the Holz collection by German Lutz H. Holz and Vistosi.
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Nerox Pittorico, Vetreria Fratelli Toso, around 1953
“Nerox Pittorico” glass by Fratelli Toso. The Nerox line is characterized by “rust” black color, a very particular glass composition which gives the artworks an oxidized effect on the surface as it cools.
The glass is combined with two preparatory sketches representing the creative process behind the manufacturing of the work. In fact, several design tests were made before the production of the first prototypes. Even after the prototype creation, many changes could be made before the final work.
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“It is impossible to fully represent all the twentieth century Muranese glass factories, with all their different aspects and rich productions, in one single exhibition. Therefore, the objective is to portray Murano’s essence during the last century: a forge of ideas, art and innovation, without forgetting its productive and commercial side. The historic archives show the importance of commercial production for Murano in the 1900s: tableware, lighting and everyday objects”
Caterina Toso
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Piatto con pesci, Hans Stoltenberg Lerche, Fratelli Toso, 1912
Among the works on display many were presented at La Biennale di Venezia. “Piatto con pesci” is an original design by Hans Stoltenberg Lerche made by Fratelli Toso and dates back to 1912.
All the works designed by Lerche were made by maestro Vittorio Toso. The whole artgroup was exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 1912.
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Piatto con pesci, Hans Stoltenberg Lerche, Fratelli Toso, 1912
Details of the artwork.
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“Glass and design” winds through the rooms of InGalleria, on the hub’s first floor. A fluid environment ideally divided into two rooms now set up to host the main areas of the exhibition: on one hand the Murano archives from the 20th century, on the other hand an overview of the glass production in Murano from 1910 to 1980.
In the first room there are 10 original volumes that show the archive methods on paper in the 20th century. Photography, original drawings, sketches show how it used to work.
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Vittorio Zecchin, SALIR, around 1930
A panel made out of four glass windows designed by Vittorio Zecchin for some doors of SALIR company built around 1930 stands between the first and the second exhibition rooms.
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Vittorio Zecchin, SALIR, around 1930
Details of the glass windows.
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The original drawings and the preparatory sketches sometimes were burnt by the heat of the furnace ovens, ruined by time but still full of strength and creativity which gave life to the incredible artworks on display at “Glass and Design”.
An exhibition that come to life also through the setting designed by Matteo Silverio with a massive use of iron panels characterized by oxidation and corrosion. The smooth lighting make them even more effective.
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Anse Volanti, Giorgio Ferro, 1952
Selected as identity image of the exhibition for its stylized and still contemporary form, Anse Volanti is among the most iconic works by Giorgio Ferro that stands out for its iridescent effect on the surface and its handles sinuosity obtained by perforations integrated into the material.
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Anse Volanti, Giorgio Ferro, 1952
Details of the artwork.
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Anse Volanti, Giorgio Ferro, A.Ve.M., 1952
The incredible range of iridescent shades of the artwork from the Holz Collection is fascinating. Colors that change according to the observer’s perspective and to the light that settles on the glass surface.
Its essential shape is designed by the eclectic Giorgio Ferro, Galliano Ferro’s son, who after his A.Ve.M experience devoted himself to glass for lighting.
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Eldorado Osellaria Trombone, Dino Martens, Vetreria Aureliano Toso, 1952
“Eldorado” series by Vetreria Aureliano Toso was designed by Dino Martens and presented for the first time at Biennale di Venezia in 1952 with “Oriente” series. Recognizable for its mixed techniques and the addition of macie (crushed glass) when processing, colored splinters and slivers of other star-shaped glasses, aventurine powder (a particular glass with a golden color obtained through an extremely complex glass composition), Eldorado’s production was limited.
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Valva Siderale Verde, Flavio Poli, Seguso Vetri d’Arte, 1952
Presented at Biennale di Venezia in 1952, Valva Siderale distinguishes for its very complicated manufacturing process: the two parts, one of which consists of a thick murrina with a concentric shape, were joined first with the incalmo technique and then the long and laborious etching and grinding. The undisputed Maestro for the sommersi was Angelo Seguso, Archimedes’ brother.
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Stylistic and technical innovations were reserved for great exhibitions, when glass factories were asked to show the best of their art: these unique pieces or small series were later produced only if they had been commercially successful.
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Overview of the main room exhibition at InGalleria / Punta Conterie Art Gallery. Curated by Matteo Silverio, the set-up project involved the use of iron panels for the display of the glass artworks and their original design.
A solution that has made it possible to put very different works in relation to each other – in terms of style and period of execution – without affecting the interior design project curated by Alessandro Vecchiato.
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Millerighe, Ermanno Toso, 1954
Millerighe glasses – designed by Ermanno Toso and exhibited at La Biennale di Venezia in 1954 – have a very elegant and light design, their soft colors and transparencies further enhance the sinuous shapes of the vases.
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Vaso Mosaico, Paolo Venini, Vetreria Venini, 1954
Strong color contrasts, an original pyramid-shaped artwork and its mosaic decoration of lattimo (milk glass) distinguish “Vaso Mosaico” made in 1954 by Vetreria Venini.
Designed by Paolo Venini, a well-known entrepreneur of that time and certainly one of the main protagonists of Murano glass in the 20th century, who has tirelessly demonstrated his sensitivity for the purity of forms and his love for the art of glass.
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Vaso Mosaico, Paolo Venini, Vetreria Venini, 1954
Details of the artwork.
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Vaso decorato con smalti, Fornasetti, SALIR, 1936
First exhibited at the VI Triennale in Milan in 1936, the vase designed by Pietro Fornasetti comes from Salir’s historical archive. The contrast between the transparency of the glass and the enamel decoration with polychrome hands and butterflies is sharp, brightness is given by the gold-painted details.
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Vaso a Bollicine, Venini, 1934
The artwork “Vaso a bollicine” was created in 1934, two years after the collaboration between Venini glass factory and the then artistic director Carlo Scarpa.
The same year, “a bollicine”, “a mezza filigrana” and “sommersi” glass is presented for the first time at the Biennale. A period of lively research for the world of glass and experimentation with new techniques, new processes and a different use of color.
In this period of great artistic activity, the contribution of Carlo Scarpa was fundamental for creating continuity between past, present and future of Murano glass.
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Gala, Giusto Toso, Vetreria Fratelli Toso, 1968
Each Gala’s element is mold-blown: every single “C” has the same weight, the same shape and the same size. Being designed to become a chain, the elements are realized to bear very high weights: moreover, they can only be hooked and unhooked with a precise and particular inclination to prevent part of the structures from collapsing and oscillating.
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Gala, Giusto Toso, Vetreria Fratelli Toso, 1968
Details of the artwork.
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Incisione, Renato Guttuso – Incisore: Mario D’Alpaos, SALIR, 1983
Leda was the beautiful queen of Sparta, Testio’s daughter, with whom Zeus fell in love. In the form of a white swan, Zeus descended from Olympus to join the young woman.
Renato Guttuso’s drawing takes up the well-known myth of Zeus and the swan. The female figure is inspired by Marta Marzotto.
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Ih che bei, Fulvio Bianconi, Vistosi, 1970 ca.
The creative audacity by designer Fulvio Bianconi gives shape to one of the most iconic series of the time Ih che bei [ “Oh how pretty” ] around 1963.
Made for Vistosi glass factory, Ih che bei is the synthesis of the minimalist taste of the 1960’s reinterpreted with freshness and graphic flair.
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Historical photo.