Murano Glass and the Biennale: A Decade of Wonders (1948-1958) at Le Stanze del Vetro
Dino Martens, Magician's Bottle, 1948, Aureliano Toso, Bischofberger Collection, Männedorf – Zurich
After the Second World War, Murano shone again. The year 1948 marked the resumption of decorative arts exhibitions at the Venice Biennale, and the Venetian pavilion once again became the privileged stage for the art of glass: in 1952, the entire pavilion was devoted to the landmark Mostra del vetro muranese, an event that consecrated the island's renewed vitality. The exhibition 1948-1958. Murano Glass and the Venice Biennale, curated by Marino Barovier at Le Stanze del Vetro on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore, tells the story of this extraordinary decade through more than 180 works drawn from public and private collections worldwide. On display are masterpieces from the great historic glasshouses: Venini with Fulvio Bianconi and Paolo Venini, Barovier & Toso with Ercole Barovier, Seguso Vetri d'Arte with Flavio Poli, Aureliano Toso with Dino Martens, and many more. This was a period in which ancient techniques were reinterpreted alongside new experiments with material, rigorous forms inspired by Nordic design coexisted with soft, irregular lines, and transparent glass sat beside heavily cased pieces with vivid, intense colouring. Careful documentary research in the Biennale's Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts (ASAC) has made it possible to reconstruct with precision what was shown during those years, offering visitors a vivid portrait of an unrepeatable era.