Inside the Gallery of Venice’s Biggest Glassmaker
MILAN — Barovier&Toso, the seven-centuries-old glassmaker that was appointed by the Republic of Venice in 1455 to make Venetian Crystal, is keeping the ancient tradition alive with fresh talent.
On Thursday, the company opened Barovier&Toso Arte, a gallery on the island of Murano. The space is dedicated to contemporary artists who embrace glass as a part of their artistic identity.
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Thursday also marked the debut of the “Glass Art in Dialogue / Arte del vetro in dialogo,” a project by artists Marija Jaensch and Amy Thai. The company’s president Rinaldo Invernizzi, who is president of the new gallery, said the space is a way to perpetuate an ever-evolving dialogue between the firm’s rich Venetian heritage and the contemporary art world.
“This leading approach positions the company not only as a luxury brand but as a vital cultural bridge connecting seven centuries of Murano tradition with today’s evolving art world,” Invernizzi told WWD.
Berlin-based Jaensch is an artist known for her historical exchange with the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. While she recently introduced glass into her work, she is also specialized in multilayered textiles and quilt work.
Sydney-born Thai is a multidisciplinary artist who works with flowers, marble and glass. Last year, both artists showed their work during “H20 Venezia: Water Diaries,” a collective exhibition held at the end of an artistic residency organized by SPUMA (Space for the Arts on Giudecca island), which was also supported by Barovier&Toso and took place during the Art Biennale.
Barovier&Toso, whose elaborate chandeliers have adorned the homes of royal residences such as King Al-Saud’s palace in Taif, Saudi Arabia, has been focusing its efforts on adapting with the times and has invested in strategies that bolster its storytelling through digital channels, which have become more and more crucial to its business.
Though the company was founded in 1295 by Jacobello Barovier, in 1455 his descendant Angelo Barovier was granted the exclusive right to produce “Cristallo Veneziano” (Venetian Crystal), which is unlike any other on the market because it is void of lead and arsenic. The company operated independently until 1936, when it merged with the Toso glassmaking business.
Today it is focused on fortifying partnerships with major luxury brands, many of which are already key clients: Dolce & Gabbana, Cartier, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari.
In 2023, Ginori 1735 tapped Nichetto and Barovier&Toso, as well as Rubelli, to produce its Domus collection of statement pieces, which was unveiled in April at Milan Design Week. Nichetto designed interior pieces, while Barovier&Toso contributed their glassmaking expertise and mouth-blown crystal, which has been built on Murano artisan craftsmanship since the 13th century.
The gallery is located on the second and top floors of the prestigious Palazzo Barovier&Toso on Murano, within its Sala dell’Acqua hall. Built in 1920, the building overlooks the historic Rio dei Vetrai, the canal lined with some of the world’s most famous glass factories and furnaces.
The exhibit will remain open to the public until June 8.
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