This book retraces the 30-year history of Berengo Studio, from its first partnerships in the 1980s to more recent works that have consecrated it as a point of reference for experimentation in the use of glass in contemporary art.

Inspired by Peggy Guggenheim and Egidio Costantini who in the 1960s urged artists such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall to produce artworks in glass, Adriano Berengo has invited creatives from every discipline – from painting to sculpture, music and design – to work with the master glassmakers in his glassworks in Murano. The dynamic partnerships created by the Studio have led to the development of original techniques, pushing glassmakers beyond the previously accepted boundaries to realise the artist’s creative vision.

From memorable partnerships with Riccardo Licata, Martin Bradley, Klaas Gubbels and Kiki Kogelnik to Jan Fabre, Tony Cragg, Jaume Plensa, Erwin Wurm, Thomas Schütte, Wael Shawky, Ai Weiwei, Laure Prouvost, Renate Bertlmann, Robert Wilson, Jimmie Durham and many more, the book traces the path that, step after step, has broadened the horizons and potential of glass thanks to the development of ever more complex projects.

The second and third sections centre on the Glasstress exhibitions organised by the Fondazione Berengo and hosted in prestigious museums and institutions worldwide. Special attention is focused on the most recent one, held from 9 May to 24 November 2019 at the Fondazione Berengo Art Space in Venice and curated by Vik Muniz and Koen Vanmechelen, celebrating the event’s tenth anniversary.

Adriano Berengo first presented the Glasstress project in 2009 as an official fringe event of the Venice Biennale to promote the mission of bringing contemporary art and glass together, thus writing a new chapter in the history of this ancient and fascinating material. Today, it has become the leading showcase worldwide for works born out of collaboration between the glass craft and the creativity of contemporary art.

The book contains essays and contributions by Don Bacigalupi, Adriano Berengo, Jean Blanchaert, Marcel Heider, Franz Hlavac, Gisela Hopfmüller, Vik Muniz, Koen Vanderstukken, Koen Vanmechelen and William Warmus.

In English. Translations by Thea Hawlin.