International conference. Paolo Venini and his furnace
Venini, ‘checkered murrine’ glass vases, 1954
The event will focus on Paolo Venini, an enlightened and creative entrepreneur, between innovation, tradition and international collaborations.
On Tuesday February 16th 2016 Paolo Venini, (1895-1959) in his important role of enlightened and creative entrepreneur, will be the theme of an international conference held at the Giorgio Cini Foundation and coordinated by the Glass Study Centre. A skilled director of his company, careful both to the artistic trends of his time and to the needs of the international market, especially during the Fifties, Paolo Venini also acted creating new series of glass himself, taking advantage of the collaboration of the company technical department.
If we follow the history of the Murano glassware, one of the fundamental insights of Paolo Venini was to modernize the catalogue of the company through new and refined lines, whilst still enhancing the traditional techniques and crafts.
The focus will be on the collaboration between Paolo Venini and new actors, including international ones, such as the Swedish ceramist Tyra Lundgren known for her fun “bestiary”. The works created after World War II, during a fruitful collaboration with the architect Gio Ponti, will also be analysed and compared; together with the series produced through close cooperation with the designer Piero Fornasetti, and the painters Riccardo Licata and Eugene Berman, in the second half of the Twentieth Century.
The great American exhibitions will also be addressed, as well as the relationship with Ken Scott and Charles Lin Tissot. A further contribution will be dedicated to the architects Massimo Vignelli and Tobia Scarpa, who were always present in Venini’s life.