In the 12th century, the Venetian island of Murano was famed for its glassmakers. They made chandeliers for palaces; glass mirrors and colourful jewellery for the ruling class. But in recent years, Murano has closed a number of its glass factories, as demand for this diminishing industry declines.
As part of the Glasstress initiative at Palazzo Franchetti, French artist Loris Gréaud is presenting an offsite exhibition inside of an abandoned glass factory on Murano, on view for the duration of the Venice Biennale. The latest project in his ‘The Unplayed Notes Factory’ series reopens a factory that been closed since the 1960s, where the artist has lit up the kiln and hired local glass makers to revive the production line.
Fog fills the main installation space, while the ceiling is lined with 1,000 grey-hued glass chandeliers made from hourglass sand. They glow and dim with a brooding soundtrack that calls to mind a suspense scene in a science-fiction film. One area of the factory is sectioned off, with glassblowers creating the ceiling pieces using a century-old kiln. Once they’re made, they hang them on a conveyor belt and every so often, one piece is let go and crashes to the ground. The glass is then swept up and recycled to make new pieces.
The Murano glassmakers are akin to secret alchemists conjuring up trade secrets only some still know, with techniques that are handed down through generations. Gréaud’s installation sheds light on how quickly this age-old art can disappear over a matter of centuries; a lost art which has a sort of spellbinding magic to it, even if today it’s at risk of being lost.
The latest project in his ‘The Unplayed Notes Factory’ series reopens a factory that been closed since the 1960s
The ceiling is lined with 1,000 grey-hued glass chandeliers made from hourglass sand
Gréaud has created a ‘tableau vivant’ in the space
The exhibition is part of the Glasstress initiative organised by the Fondazione Berengo
INFORMATION
‘The Unplayed Notes Factory’ is on view until 26 November. Open Saturday through Monday, from 1 – 4pm. For more information, visit the website
ADDRESS
Fondazione Berengo
Campiello della Pescheria
30141 Murano
Venice
-
Saskia Colwell’s playful drawings resemble marble sculpturesSaskia Colwell draws on classical and modern references for ‘Skin on Skin’, her solo exhibition at Victoria Miro, Venice
-
Remembering Oliviero Toscani, fashion photographer and author of provocative Benetton campaignsBest known for the controversial adverts he shot for the Italian fashion brand, former art director Oliviero Toscani has died, aged 82
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TVStefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
-
Louis Fratino leans into queer cultural history in ItalyLouis Fratino’s 'Satura', on view at the Centro Pecci in Italy, engages with queer history, Italian landscapes and the body itself
-
Portrait of a modernist maverick: last chance to see the Jean Cocteau retrospective in Venice‘Cocteau: The Juggler’s Revenge’, celebrating the French artist's defiance of artistic labels, is in its final week at Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice
-
‘Personal Structures’ in Venice is about ‘artists breaking free’‘Personal Structures 2024: Beyond Boundaries’ reveals a rich tapestry of perspectives on the challenges of our time, from culture to climate and identity
-
‘I just don't like eggs!’: Andrea Fraser unpacks the art marketArtist Andrea Fraser’s retrospective ‘I just don't like eggs!’ at Fondazione Antonio dalle Nogare, Italy, explores what really makes the art market tick
-
Aindrea Emelife on bringing the Nigerian Pavilion to life at the Venice Biennale 2024Curator Aindrea Emelife has spearheaded a new wave of contemporary artists at the Venice Biennale’s second-ever Nigerian Pavilion. Here, she talks about what the world needs to learn about African art
