ART CITIES:Venice-Glasstress 2019
The mission of Glasstress is to show how contemporary artists use glass as an incomparable medium for their expression. For a long time, especially in Venice and Murano, glass has been generally associated to decoration, whereas its relevance for outstanding accomplishments by great artists was neglected, but in recent years an increasing number of artists have taken up working with glass for their creations, and Glasstress is the first initiative aimed at documenting and promoting this trend.
By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Glasstress Archive
Returning for the 58th Biennale di Venezia, the sixth edition of Glasstress brings together a new line-up of leading contemporary artists an ambitious exhibition exploring the endless creative possibilities of glass. Glasstress is a project by Adriano Berengo dedicated to supporting his mission of marrying contemporary art and glass. Since its debut in 2009 as a collateral event of the Venice Biennale, Glasstress has revived the traditional craft of Murano glassblowing by forging new alliances with internationally renowned artists and designers and has since become an unparalleled platform showcasing ground-breaking new works in glass. To celebrate 10 years of GLASSTRESS and 30 years of Berengo Studio, the exhibition goes back to its historical roots on the island of Murano. An old abandoned glass furnace is now an evocative exhibition space for striking new works and installations by returning artists Ai Weiwei, Tony Cragg and Thomas Schütte as well as first time participants Prune Nourry, José Parlá and Xavier Veilhan, amongst others. For this section, Vik Muniz has invited all artists to explore “how glass redefines our perception of space”. In another section, curated by Koen Vanmechelen, highlights from the past ten years are also on display, including “Mutter” (2016-17) by Erwin Wurm, “Laura’s Hands” (2011) by Jaume Plensa and “A Different Self” (2014) by Mat Collishaw. Referring to the making of glass works, Vanmechelen says: “the world of the unknown and unseen becomes visible and tangible through beautiful accidents in time”. A special project by Robert Wilson, curated by Jean Blanchaert, also features a part of the exhibition. With little or no prior experience working with glass, these artists have embraced the challenge of creating extraordinary works in this very delicate medium in collaboration with Muranese artisans. The output of this unusual encounter defies the stereotypes associated with this ancient craft, ultimately pushing the boundaries of both contemporary art and glass. This year’s edition of Glasstress also provide visitors with the opportunity to watch Murano glass masters at work at the adjacent glassblowing studio and learn more about Fondazione Berengo’s preservation efforts of this centuries-old artistry of Venetian glass-making.
Participating Artists: Saint Clair Cemin, Antonio Dei Rossi, Pedro Friedeberg, Carlos Garaicoa, Artur Lescher, Denise Milan, Prune Nourry, José Parlá, Pablo Reinoso, Valeska Soares, Tim Tate, Francisco Toledo, Janaina Tschäpe, Xavier Veilhan, Robert Wilson, Rose Wylie, Ai Weiwei, Monica Bonvicini, Tony Cragg, Shirazeh Houshiary, Karen LaMonte, Paul McCarthy, Haroon Mirza, Vik Muniz, Jaume Plensa, Laure Prouvost, Thomas Schütte, Sudarshan Shetty, Koen Vanmechelen, Joana Vasconcelos and Erwin Wurm.
Anniversary highlights: Jean Arp, Ayman Baalbaki, Miroslaw Balka, Fiona Banne, César, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Mat Collishaw, Tracey Emin, Jan Fabre, Kendell Geers, Francesco Gennari, Abdulnasser Gharem, Michael Joo, Ilya & Emilia Kabakov, Michael Kienzer, Hye Rim Lee, Oksana Mas, Hans Op de Beek, Tony Oursle, Javier Pérez, Antonio Riello, Bernardí Roig, Joyce Jane Scott, Wael Shawky, Lino Tagliapietra, Fred Wilson and Dustin Yellin.
Info: Curators: Vik Muniz and Koen Vanmechelen, Fondazione Berengo Art Space: Campiello Della Pescheria, Murano, Duration: 9/5-24/11/19, Daily 10:00-18:00, www.fondazioneberengo.org
