The Venice Glass Week 2024
What to see, a "Secrets" itinerary between Murano and Accademia
The Venice Glass Week returns to Murano and Venice, a wonderful widespread event that from 14 to 22 September 2024 celebrates the art of glass in all its forms, a unique opportunity to visit thematic exhibitions and the ateliers of some of the most famous glass masters in the world.
A true feast of the senses for those who love artistic glass, an event that saw its first edition in 2017 and has since grown to become one of the most beloved international events in Venice.
The soul of The Venice Glass Week is the island of Murano which was for several centuries the most important production center of high-end glass in Europe.
Today, Murano maintains a recognized primacy for the exceptional skill in the modeling of blown glass of its masters, an art refined over the centuries by real dynasties of artists, among the most famous in the world.
Starting from Murano (ideally arriving by 11am), we suggest a one-day itinerary to discover some of the most beautiful ateliers in Venice and the highlights of this edition of The Venice Glass Week.
Our journey begins at the Colonna stop, walking along Fondamenta dei Vetrai to the Berengo Studio furnace museum in Campiello della Pescheria, a creative hub born in 1989 from an idea by Adriano Berengo, a pioneer in Venice in spreading the excellence of Murano glass who in 2009 created Glasstress, an event that brings the world of contemporary art into dialogue with international designers and master glassmakers.
This year’s exhibition, Glasstress 8½, curated by Umberto Croppi, is a tribute to Federico Fellini and features 30 works by artists who have collaborated with Berengo, including Monica Bonvicini, Tony Cragg, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Fariba Ferdosi, Ryan Gander, Marya Kazoun, Majida Khattari, Chila Kumari Burman, Alfredo Pirri, Ayako Rokkaku, Thomas Schutte.
Crossing the canal at Fondamenta Manin 1/D, you can visit the three floors of Palazzo Barovier&Toso, opened in 2018, which offers another point of view: the celebration of glass in all its applications in interior design. There are many wonders to admire in the showroom of what, founded in 1295 in Murano, is in fact the oldest glass factory in the world, such as the golden staircase that connects the floors of the building overlooking an immense chandelier designed in 1980 for one of the Saudi king’s homes.
From there, continue towards La Cattedrale, in Calle Giuseppe di Odoardo, another of the most magical and scenic places in Murano: the historic furnace that belonged to the great master glassmaker Alfredo Barbini and revived in 2015 by the artist Aristide Najean. Here, in an exhibition dedicated to mythology, the French “sculptor of light” is exhibited, as well as Anna Perez Grassano, Natalia Carrus, Pascale Loisel, and Isabelle Paris (Zabou).
Approaching midday, if you feel like taking a break while staying on the “glass” theme, you can stop at the NH Collection Venezia Murano Villa, a hotel opened in 2022 in the historic Fornace De Majo, where on the first floor there is a wonderful panoramic terrace overlooking Murano, perfect for a lunch of pasta courses or a quick bite.
From here, taking a walk through the picturesque residential neighborhoods of the island, you reach the atelier of Lino Tagliapietra, in Fondamenta Serenella, where, by appointment, you can visit the wonderful Lino and Friends exhibition which displays works created by the master, one of the most famous and highly rated on the market in the world, as well as by other internationally renowned artists with whom he collaborated during his long career.
Returning to the Colonna stop or taking a taxi, our itinerary continues in the Ponte dell’Accademia area of Venice. Here is another important crossroads of The Venice Glass Week, the collective exhibition set up in Campo Santo Stefano at the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti in the Palazzo Loredan.
Continuing towards the Ponte dell’Accademia, you can take a coffee break at the new Moro Cafè, inaugurated in 2024 in the garden of Palazzo Franchetti which also houses the beautiful Moro Restaurant overlooking the Grand Canal. The palace is worth a visit for its magnificent Gothic staircase and Welcome! A Palazzo for Immigrants, a site-specific solo exhibition by the interdisciplinary artist Osman Yousefzada created by Fondazione Berengo in collaboration with the Victoria & Albert Museum.
Our journey ends at the Gallerie dell’Accademia, which, one of the highlights of this edition of The Venice Glass Week, hosts Convito di vetro, a monumental installation of over 200 artefacts in dialogue with the Convito in casa di Levi, a masterpiece by Paolo Veronese.
From an idea of the museum director Giulio Manieri Elia, created in collaboration with Pentagram Stiftung and curated by Sung Moon Cho, it is a table set up as a “glass” banquet that retraces a century of history of this art in Murano through some of its most famous glasses and vases.
An opportunity to also visit the other rooms of the Gallerie dell’Accademia and admire some of the most famous paintings in the history of art, such as The Tempest by Giorgione.
It is most likely time to enjoy the sunset in Venice, perhaps with an aperitif to consult the website of The Venice Glass Week and plan other itineraries in the city to discover the magnificent art of glass.
The Secret
During the Serenissima Republic of Venice, it was so commercially important to safeguard the techniques of glassmaking that master glassmakers were forbidden to leave Venice without express permission and the dissemination of the glass techniques secrets was considered a crime punishable by death.
Useful Info
All the exhibitions and visits suggested in the article are free, except Convito di Vetro which can be accessed through the entrance to the Gallerie dell’Accademia for a full ticket price of 15 euro
