The Venice Biennale itself has dedicated a space in the Venice Pavilion. The Glass Rooms/Le stanze del Vetro, the long –term project undertaken by Giorgio Cini Foundation in 2012 in collaboration with the Swiss Foundation Pentagram Stiftung in order to study and give value to the glass art of the 20th century and the contemporary one, has definitely helped to renew the interest in this fine art.
It is a space of about 650 square metres, that was designed and renovated by the famous New York architecture study of Annabelle Selldorf (who has renovated many of the biggest contemporary art galleries), and it is definitely worth a visit.
From 13th April to 2nd August, “The Finnish Glass in the Bischofberger Collection” presents about 300 works of Finnish glass from the rich private collection of Mr and Mrs Bischofberger.
The Finnish glass tradition had a late start; it started in the 1920s, but in the 1930s it became world famous, when the most important designers of the country began to measure themselves with the glass art and search for their own aesthetics. Here you can find the best of Scandinavian design: you can admire vases by Aino and Alvar Alto, Arttu Brummer, Kaj Franck, Göran Hongell, Gunnel Nyman, Timo Sarpaneva, Oiva Toikka e Tapio Wirkkala. Rare objects, sometimes single copies, from the transparencies of the 1930s, going through the 1950s that are considered the “Golden age” of the Scandinavian glass art to the more colourful and irreverent style of the 1970s.
If that is not enough the exhibition will also be an opportunity to visit the wonderful Benedictine Monastery on San Giorgio Island and Borges’s Labyrinth, which is located in the back of the cloister by Palladio.
“The Finnish Glass in the Bischofberger Collection” organised by Kaisa Koivisto e Pekka Korvenmaa
13th April – 2nd August
Le Stanze del Vetro, San Giorgio Maggiore Island
Free Entrance
C.S.
