Berengo Studio brings a modern twist to the craft of Murano glass-blowing
Curated by Vik Muniz and Koen Vanmechelen, the sixth edition of Glasstress explores the possibilities of glass through the lens of contemporary art at the 58th
Adriano Berengo, a born and bred Venetian, first established his glass studio on Murano in 1989. Inspired by art collector and erstwhile Venice resident Peggy Guggenheim and the way she had guided the likes of Max Ernst, Le Corbusier and Pablo Picasso towards glass in the 1950s and 1960s, he has since welcomed more than 300 contemporary artists to the island to work with the maestros of Murano. Thirty years on, Berengo shows no signs of slowing down as his mission to reinvigorate the 1500-year-old traditional craft of Murano glass-making continues apace.
A showcase of the fruits of Berengo Studio’s labour, the inaugural edition of Glasstress took place in 2009 and has since become a firm fixture of the Venice Biennale. This year’s exhibition sees Glasstress alumni Laure Prouvost, Erwin Wurm and Ai Weiwei, among others, join newcomers including José Parlá and Denise Milan for a blockbuster tenth anniversary edition of two halves – one that casts its eye to the future, while the other celebrates Glasstress’ greatest hits.
Beyond Murano, the studio is supporting a number of artists at the Venice Biennale, from Liliano Moro, who features in the Italian Pavilion at the Arsenale, to Renate Bertlmann, the first women to represent Austria at its national pavilion in the Giardini. Over on San Clemente island, Joana Vasconcelos and Tony Cragg play with perception as their larger-than-life works take over the Palace Kempinski gardens.
