PAOLO VENINI

The master architect behind the Renaissance of Murano glass

Paolo Venini was an Italian glass artist and entrepreneur who played a central role in renewing and modernizing Murano glass in the 20th century. Born in 1895 in Cusano Milanino, near Milan, Venini began his career as a lawyer. However, his passion for glass and design took him to Murano, the legendary island known for its glassblowing art, where in 1921 he founded the company Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C. together with Giacomo Cappellin.

Venini revolutionized Murano glass by combining traditional techniques with modern aesthetics. He collaborated with prominent designers and artists such as Napoleone Martinuzzi, Carlo Scarpa and Fulvio Bianconi, resulting in groundbreaking and stylish glassware. Under his leadership, the company Venini became synonymous with high-quality and innovative glass art.

Venini's contribution to glass art was recognized internationally, and his work was exhibited in prestigious exhibitions around the world. Constantly exploring new ideas and techniques, he revived and renewed the tradition of Murano glass, setting a new standard for what was possible in glass art.

After his death in 1959, the Venini company continued to flourish, and Paolo Venini's legacy lives on through the amazing glass objects still created in his spirit. His vision and innovation have left a lasting impression on both Murano and the global art world.

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CARLO SCARPA
Legendary designer and architect

Legendary designer and architect Carlo Scarpa, one of Italian design's most famous designers, was born on June 2, 1906 in Venice, Italy. Carlo Scarpa's artistry was influenced by traditional Italian materials, the landscape, and Venetian craftsmanship, but also Japanese culture and contemporary modernism. He transformed his knowledge and interest in history and craftsmanship into ingenious glass and furniture designs; and his architecture reflects a deep awareness of the great importance of history, and a masterful attention to detail and integration of ancient craftsmanship within a distinctly modern aesthetic.

Carlo Scarpa began collaborating with the Venini Hut in 1932, while still studying architecture, and later became its artistic director until 1947. He developed a new modernist approach together with glassblowers and artists and together they developed a completely new way of thinking in traditional Venetian craftsmanship. They evolved the traditional ornate chandeliers by embracing a contemporary design language including streamlined shapes and saturated colors. It was through his work with the Murano glassblowers at Venini that he deepened his understanding of the traditional role of craftsmanship that came to influence his legacy in contemporary architecture and design. ​​​​Scarpa passed away on November 28, 1978 in Sendai, Japan.
 

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ANGELO GAETANO SCIOLARI

Creative genius and driven entrepreneur

Angelo Gaetano Sciolari was a prominent Italian designer and entrepreneur who produced stunning lighting throughout his career. His Cubic series from the 1970s, which was available in various sizes and configurations, is particularly well known. Even today, his lamps, pendant fixtures and chandeliers are highly sought after by collectors and sell at high prices worldwide.

Gaetano Sciolari's iconic lighting has recently returned to the spotlight as the glamorous 1970s pieces have attracted a new generation of admirers.

Gaetano Sciolari was born in 1927, and after graduating in architecture, he began training as a film director. When his father died unexpectedly in 1949, it fell to him to carry on the family business Sciolari Lighting, originally founded in 1892. Sometime in the 1950s, Sciolari also became head designer for the legendary lighting manufacturer Stilnovo - founded by designer Bruno Gatti in Milan in 1946. During the post-war period, many Italian design firms, especially Stilnovo, attracted international fame for their experimental use of new materials and streamlined silhouettes. However, Sciolari was still attracted to somewhat more traditional expressions, often using opal glass, steel and brass. His Molecular Chandelier (1955), produced by Stilnovo, for example, shows his penchant for mixing modernist geometry with deco-style materials.

Towards the end of the 1960s, Sciolari's designs for Sciolari Lighting began to increase in popularity among interior designers in Europe and the United States. These collections were influenced by a range of artistic movements, from cubism and deconstructivism to minimalism, but came to express a sophisticated, sculptural and even futuristic aesthetic. Sciolari's creative approach to mixed materials was something completely new and he used crystal with frosted opal glass and mixed highly polished metals with matte surfaces and the then unusual combination of brass with chrome, to create these creative masterpieces.

Sciolari passed away in 1994. Today, his lamps, pendants and chandeliers sell for high prices and are sought after by collectors.

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ALFREDO BARBINI
The master of glass sculpture

Alfredo Barbini, born in 1912 in Venice, started working in glassmaking at a very young age and after a short apprenticeship, he came to work side by side with the sculptor Napoleone Martinuzzi at the Zecchin-Martinuzzi glasshouse.

The young Alfredo quickly showed an aptitude for glassblowing and above all a talent for modeled figures. He will later himself say that he felt his hand guided by an inner force in the execution of the objects. The collaboration with Martinuzzi lasted until 1936 and is crucial to his artistic education, and it was here that he had the privilege of participating in the work on the design of the first hot glass mass  sculptures designed by Martinuzzi.

Alfredo's strong personality does not lend itself well to working under someone else's direction, so he opens his own glass booth and presents his own designs at the 1950  Biennale di Venezia. With curiosity and creativity, he continues his innovative exploration of  plastic effects with glass and new techniques. Over time, he tends to prefer increasingly pure forms and materials.

As the true glass sculptor that he is, throughout his highly productive career he continues to explore new materials and techniques, his contribution to the art of glass cannot be overstated. Sometimes the awards he was honored to receive can be mentioned the "Osella d'Oro" of  Venice's Associazione degli Industriale and Alfredo Barbini was named Venetian of the Year in 1989.

After his death in 2007, Alfredo Barbini's Murano glass and sculptures continue to influence artists and designers worldwide.

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