Venini represents the history of the art of glass, and its forms of workmanship that have made Murano a small island famous all over the world. A history with roots in the last century, when on 2 October 1921 Paolo Venini and the Venetian antiquarian Giacomo Cappellin founded “Vetri Soffiati Cappellin Venini & C”. Since then the company has grown and evolved in a remarkable way, also expanding in the world, particularly under the present leadership of Gruppo Damiani. In stylistic terms, the collections have multiplied, including the signatures of some of the greatest creative design talents across the decades – Alessandro Mendini, Ettore Sottsass, Gio Ponti, the Campana Brothers, Gaetano Pesce, Studio Job, just to list a few – spreading from decoration to lighting.
What remains constant, however, is the key principle of the firm, namely workmanship with blown glass, carefully crafted by hand, with techniques that survive in time, thanks to a tradition passed down from one generation to the next.
But Venini is not just about history. The company has come to terms with the contemporary world, reflecting its aesthetics and its values. Its heritage has therefore been translated into a modern style, in line with today’s interiors, and including sustainability as a linguistic constant. Also due to the innovative and contemporary vision of its art director, the architect Marco Piva.
An example of this harmony of past and present can be seen in the new capsule collection Paraiba: Marco Piva has brought new appeal to the iconic Fazzoletto, Balloton, Deco and Opalino, utilizing the unusual color Paraiba. In this new guise, the classics of the Venini glassworks reveal an unexpected brilliance and freshness, opening the imagination to dream destinations.
Paraiba Collection by Venini, Art Direction Studio Marco Piva
Bloom Collection by Venini, design Marco Piva
Marco Piva has also created one of the new developments for 2023, the Bloom collection of vases and centerpieces. Here glass is reborn in a creative reinterpretation of the raw material and its potential. The various objects in the collection are derived from the fusion of glass selected and salvaged from previous working processes, crafted exclusively by hand without molds. A new stylistic challenge, fully respecting the ecosystem.
New proposals also include the vase-sculpture Gran Bulbo designed by Peter Marino, who thus continues his collaboration with Venini that began in 2017 with the Black Belt vase collection. Gran Bulbo represents the synthesis of the skills of the master glassmakers and their age-old knowledge: it is entirely made by hand using the glassblowing technique, on which to graft bands of Verde Mela glass, enhanced by gold leaf and glazed finishes in gold and silver. A true décor gem.
