Carlo Scarpa at Le Stanze del Vetro
Carlo Scarpa’s work has been widely praised in all of its forms in Venetian area and its surroundings. The famous architect’s legacy is firmly tied to the city and its cultural history and traditions, as it can be seen in the latest show about his work. Titled “Carlo Scarpa. Venini 1932-1947.”, the exhibition is being hosted at Le Stanze del Vetro, a new exhibition space dedicated entirely to the Venetian glass mastery, founded as a joint effort between Fondazione Giorgio Cini and Pentagram Stiftung, with the idea of bringing this (almost forgotten) craft at the centre of contemporary cultural discussion.
The first exhibition that inaugurated the project space, tries to tell the story of the incredible experimental work developed by the grand master Carlo Scarpa during the years he spent as artistic director of Venini, one of the most famous Muranese manufacturers. That Scarpa wasn’t just a normal designer is a well known fact that this show only reconfirms. Through more than 300 objects on display, it is possible to see Scarpa’s curiosity and depth of his research, that involved not only formal experimentation, but an inquiry into the glass blowing production processes and its possible developments.
Besides showing around 30 beautiful series of vases and glass objects (plates, glasses, containers, perfume bottles) roughly organized according to different production methods – sommersi, murrine, corrosi – the show includes a series of technical drawings that were believed lost in a fire at Venini’s archives a few decades ago. Thus, the exhibition shows both the professional and technical mastery, as well as the incredible creativity of one of the most important Venetian modern masters. “Carlo Scarpa. Venini 1932-1947” is on display until the 29th of November at Le Stanze del Vetro, Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice.
