Two installations are the focus of the new chapter of Le Stanze del Vetro exhibition cycle. At Fondazione Giorgio Cini, the famous Velario (a kind of awning), first made in 1951 and comprising a number of festoons with steel cables and crystal glass beads, has been rebuilt, as has the monu- mental chandelier, boasting over 3000 multicolour glass pieces.Curated by Marino Barovier, Venini: Luce 1921-1985 is a collection of the most meaningful productions in the field of lighting, both domestic and commercial: lighting fixtures created for offices, theatres, hotels… at the Venini glass factory in Murano, Venice.Artists contributed their designs for iconic pieces: painter Vittorio Zecchin, sculptor Napoleone Martinuzzi, architects Tomaso Buzzi and Carlo Scarpa.In the 1950s, architects such as Gio Poni, Franco Albini, Ignazio Gardella, and the BBPR Studio also collaborated with Venini. Architect Massimo Vignelli designed a series of Scandinavian-inspired items, realized with a touch of Murano glass tradition.Since the late Fifties, modular elements proved commercially successful, as did other design elements such as drops, rods, cubes, plates that adorned a diverse offering of lighting fixtures: suspended chandeliers, wall-mounted fixtures, large lighting installations, and soffit-mounted contraptions.
