le stanze del vetro displays critical glass works from gio ponti to gae aulenti

LE STANZE DEL VETRO BRINGS TOGETHER FOUR LEGENDARY DESIGNERS

The exhibition FontanaArte. House of Glass brings together the works of four of the greatest artistic directors. Displayed at Le Stanze del Vetro in Venice, the critical pieces of Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa, Max Ingrand and Gae Aulenti showcase the poetic possibilities of plate glass, while offering a retrospective on the glass furnishings of the legendary Milan company. From 4 April to 31 July, 2022, the acclaimed works are divided into different galleries focusing on each designer, culminated in a suite that evokes a dwelling made of glass interiors.

FontanaArte. Vivere nel vetro, installation views

all images courtesy of Le Stanze del Vetro

photographs by Enrico Fiorese

fontanaarte. house of glass RUNS FROM 4 APRIL – 31 JULY

Christian Larsen curates the FontanaArte. House of Glass exhibition set at Le Stanze del Vetro, Fondazione Giorgio Cini. The theme is focused on the renowned works of the Milanese glass manufacturer, through an overview of the creative catalogue and production periods of its four world-renowned directors: Gio Ponti (at FontanaArte 1932-1933), Pietro Chiesa (1933-1948), Max Ingrand (1954-1967) and Gae Aulenti (1979-1996). Through 85 of the most exceptional pieces produced by FontanaArte, the exhibits feature the use of plate glass – a material that has been worked with by many artists over the course of the company’s history.

FontanaArte. Vivere nel vetro, installation views

From the time of its foundation by Gio Ponti in 1932 until 1996, when Aulenti left the company, the FontanaArte catalogue traces a historical stylistic arc in twentieth-century design, from the rational logic of Modernism to the playfulness of Postmodernism. Through this manufacturing firm, the standards of Italian design are portrayed at their best: the perfect continuity between classicism and contemporary technology, the ideal matching of art and industry, the superlative quality of the materials and craft handling of industrial glass and the elevation of the everyday object to the art of living.

FontanaArte. Vivere nel vetro, installation views

the exhibition evokes a dwelling made of glass interiors

The exhibition is laid out with each gallery focusing on a designer, featuring a suite furnished in the FontanaArte style to evoke a dwelling made of glass furnishings designed by architect Massimiliano Locatelli. The house of glass, a technological dream of modernist architects, was achieved in Gio Ponti and Luigi Fontana’s avant-garde vision with the aim of reinventing this outdoor construction material as a new luxury standard for interior home decorating.