Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa

“Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932 – 1947” is the first exhibition organised at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York which is entirely dedicated to glass and is being organised by Nicholas Cullinan, a curator from the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art, together with the assistance of Mary Clare McKinley. In keeping with the original format, the exhibition “Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932 – 1947” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is set out chronologically, thus periodically dividing the various technical methods utilized and the glass compositions (from “sommersi” glass to the “murrine romane”, proceeding to “corrosi” and to glass “a pennellate”).

The exhibition’s itinerary commences in 1932, the year in which Carlo Scarpa began his collaboration with Venini after being appointed as artistic director, and concludes in 1947, the year in which he decided to return to his principal passion: architecture. The exhibition retraces 15 years of history at the famous Murano glass company, for which Carlo Scarpa designed a considerable number of works, also contributing to the invention of some new techniques and glass types that are still being used by the Venini company today.

During this period, Scarpa carried out experiments that included researching colour, light and materials and combining them with form and secret techniques used by the Murano masters; an approach that revolutionised the Venini company’s method of design, thus rendering the Murano glass company famous all over the world.

The installation of the exhibition “Venetian Glass by Carlo Scarpa: The Venini Company, 1932 – 1947” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was accomplished with the invaluable collaboration of Venetian craftsmen: in particular, Augusto Capovilla and the company Ott Art&s Maurizio Torcellan and Giacomo Andrea Doria. The Capovilla carpentry workshop, established by Augusto Capovilla in 1890, had historically collaborated with Carlo Scarpa for his most important events in Venice, which included his contributions at the Museo Correr, the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the Venice Biennale and the Fondazione Querini Stampalia. The Venetian company Ott Art continues its work with the Metropolitan Museum of Art after having launched their collaboration with LE STANZE DEL VETRO, for which they assume responsibility for the installation, shipping and insurance of artworks and the associated management of technical and logistical aspects. Similar to the exhibition installed at LE STANZE DEL VETRO in Venice last August, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has also decided to collaborate with these Venetian organisations to ensure a perfect continuity of the world and creative model of Carlo Scarpa, and most importantly of Venice.

Previously on view at:

Carlo Scarpa. Venini 1932 — 1947

LE STANZE DEL VETRO

29 August 2012 – 6 January 2013

View the catalogue