Rizzoli Venini: The Art of Glass

From Venice to the world: this is a special book that recounts the prolific and original manufacture of Venini, the glass art company founded 100 years ago in Murano (Venice) by the visionary genius of Paolo Venini and Giacomo Cappellini. Over the course of a century, Venini has always pursued the goal of innovation in keeping with tradition: the brand has transformed the ancient art of glassmaking by intersecting it with the modern visions of artists and designers. It has gained international fame and has become the magnificent obsession of collectors all over the world. Venini objects are present in private collections, as well as museums and public institutions. The book will not proceed with a chronological or alphabetical order, but by subjects, focusing on content clusters and thematic associations, e.g. Murano and the Orient, Colour, Collecting, Texture, Bestiary Many books have been made about Venini, but The Art of Glass stands out for its never before seen viewpoint, behind the scenes contents, and variety of voices. The book describes the evolution of its taste, style and innovation, thanks to the images and stories of the key designers and art directors, such as Paolo Venini, Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti, Gae Aulenti, Ettore Sottsass, Alessandro Mendini, Tadao Ando, Ron Arad, and Peter Marino. The imagery includes about 150 illustrations: photos of glass, archive documents, original drawings, and a reportage carried out in the furnace itself. These images will allow readers to enter the beating heart of Venini craftsmanship, and to observe all the stages of glassmaking. The book will also include texts and quotes by international contributors, curators and designers.