Returning for the 58th Biennale di Venezia, the sixth edition of GLASSTRESS brings together a new line-up of leading contemporary artists from Europe, the United States, Latin America, India, and China in 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 , 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, Tim Tate and Xavier Veilhan, amongst others.
Tim Tate; “The Endless Cycle”; 36″ x 36″ x 4″; Glass, Aluminum, Poly-Vitro, electronics
For this section, Brazilian artist Vik Muniz has invited all artists to explore ‘how glass redefines our perception of space’. In another section of the exhibition, curated by Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen, highlights from the past ten years will also go 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.’
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 will 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.
Tim Tate; “The Endless Cycle” detail
GLASSTRESS 2019 – PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
New artists :
Saint Clair Cemin (Brazil), Pedro Friedeberg (Mexico), Carlos Garaicoa (Cuba), Artur Lescher (Brazil), Prune Nourry (France), José Parlá (USA), Pablo Reinoso (Argentina), Valeska Soares (Brazil), Tim Tate (USA), Janaina Tschäpe (Germany), Xavier Veilhan (France), Robert Wilson (USA).
Returning artists :
Ai Weiwei (China), Monica Bonvicini (Italy), Tony Cragg (UK), Shirazeh Houshiary (Iran), Alicja Kwade (Poland), Karen LaMonte (USA), Paul McCarthy (USA), Vik Muniz (Brazil), Jaume Plensa (Spain), Laure Prouvost (France), Thomas Schütte (Germany), Sudarshan Shetty (India), Koen Vanmechelen (Belgium), Erwin Wurm (Austria).
GLASSTRESS Anniversary highlights :
Jean Arp (Germany), Ayman Baalbaki (Lebanon), Miroslaw Balka (Poland), Fiona Banner (UK), Mat Collishaw (UK), César (France), Jake and Dinos Chapman (UK), Tracey Emin (UK), Jan Fabre (Belgium), Kendell Geers (South Africa), Francesco Gennari (Italy), Abdulnasser Gharem (Saudi Arabia), Michael Joo (USA), Ilya & Emilia Kabakov (Russia/USA), Michael Kienzer (Austria), Hye Rim Lee (South Korea), Oksana Mas (Ukraine), Hans Op de Beek (Belgium), Tony Ousler (USA), Javier Pérez (Spain), Antonio Riello (Italy), Bernardì Roig (Spain), Joyce Jane Scott (USA), Wael Shawky (Egypt), Lino Tagliapietra (Italy), Fred Wilson (USA), Dustin Yellin (USA).
ABOUT GLASSTRESS:
GLASSTRESS was launched in 2009 by Adriano Berengo as an official collateral event of the Biennale di Venezia. Today it is the world’s leading showcase for the collaborative work of contemporary artists and designers with Berengo Studio’s Muranese glass masters. GLASSTRESS runs from May 9 to November 24, 2019
Organized by Fondazione Berengo, GLASSTRESS exhibitions have been presented in prominent museums and institutions worldwide including the Boca Raton Museum of Art, Florida, the London College of Fashion and The Wallace Collection in London, the Art Museum Riga Bourse in Riga, Millesgården Museum in Stockholm, the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York, the Beirut Exhibition Center (BEC) in Beirut, and the Ptuj City Gallery in Ptuj, Slovenia.
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The students all loved the process and can’t wait til the firings are out of the kilns.
