The third chapter of the project dedicated to the presence of Murano glass at the Venice Biennale focuses on the years 1948–1958, a decade in which Murano regained creative momentum and renewed international visibility. Curated by Marino Barovier, the exhibition 1948–1958. Murano Glass and the Venice Biennale is hosted by Le Stanze del Vetro on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
The exhibition examines the years of post-war revival and the emergence of modern design, when Murano glassworks – driven by an atmosphere of experimentation and optimism – found in the Biennale a key platform to present works that combined technical mastery with new artistic approaches. The exhibitions held in the Padiglione Venezia during this decade reflect this dynamic phase, marked by updated techniques, modern sensibilities, and collaborations with artists intrigued by the expressive potential of glass.
On view are works from some of the most significant glasshouses active at the time, including AVEM (with pieces by Giulio Radi and Giorgio Ferro), Gino Cenedese (with Alfredo Barbini and Riccardo Licata), Alfredo Barbini, Barovier & Toso, Seguso Vetri d’Arte (with Flavio Poli), Archimede Seguso, Aureliano Toso (with Dino Martens), Fratelli Toso, S.A.L.I.R., and Venini (with Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini). The exhibition also highlights the work of artists such as Vinicio Vianello – a key figure of the decade – Ezio Rizzetto, and Anzolo Fuga, whose contributions introduced new aesthetic directions within the medium.
The project offers an in-depth reading of a pivotal moment in the history of Murano glass, when tradition and innovation converged to shape one of its most vibrant creative seasons.

Featured image:Glassworks in the Padiglione Venezia, 26th Venice Biennale, 1952. Vintage photograph, AMB