Berengo: 30 Years in Glass

Inspired by Peggy Guggenheim and Egidio Costantini who in the 1960s urged artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall to produce artworks in glass, Adriano Berengo has invited creatives from every discipline – from painting to sculpture, music and design – to work with the master glassmakers in his glassworks in Murano. The dynamic partnerships created by the Studio have led to the development of original techniques, pushing glassmakers beyond the previously accepted boundaries to realise the artist’s creative vision.

From memorable partnerships with Riccardo Licata, Martin Bradley, Klaas Gubbels and Kiki Kogelnik to Jan Fabre, Tony Cragg, Jaume Plensa, Erwin Wurm, Thomas Schütte, Wael Shawky, Ai Weiwei, Laure Prouvost, Renate Bertlmann, Robert Wilson, Jimmie Durham and many more, the book traces the path that, step after step, has broadened the horizons and potential of glass thanks to the development of ever more complex projects.

The second and third sections centre on the Glasstress exhibitions organised by the Fondazione Berengo and hosted in prestigious museums and institutions worldwide. Special attention is focused on the most recent one, held from 9 May to 24 November 2019 at the Fondazione Berengo Art Space in Venice and curated by Vik Muniz and Koen Vanmechelen, celebrating the event’s tenth anniversary.