Massimo Micheluzzi at the Olivetti Store

FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano, Piazza San Marco, Venice. May 20 – September 24, 2023

In conjunction with the 18th Architecture Biennale and the Italian Glass Week, the FAI (Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano) hosted the exhibition "Massimo Micheluzzi at the Olivetti Store" at the historic showroom in Piazza San Marco, Venice, a space owned by Assicurazioni Generali and managed by FAI since 2011. Curated by Cristina Beltrami, the exhibition presented a collection of 44 vases made using opus sectile and blown glass mosaic techniques—a process that merges tradition and innovation, beginning with the creation of glass tiles embedded in plates, which are then blown using the traditional Murano technique.

Micheluzzi created these works starting in 2022, drawing inspiration from both the city’s artistic heritage and the architectural design of the Olivetti Store, designed by Carlo Scarpa. The exhibition is not a direct tribute to Scarpa but rather a shared reflection on their common roots, such as their connection to Byzantine mosaics, which is evident in both the store’s floor and Micheluzzi's works. Micheluzzi interprets the play of light, silence, and color that characterizes the store's architecture with glass, where the chromatic tile system of the floor, reminiscent of Venetian terrazzo, resonates in his vases and glass sculptures.

The exhibition features 44 vases and a site-specific sculpture created for the occasion, placed in a room overlooking the canal. This sculpture, made of glass plates, reinforces the connection between the artworks and the exhibition space. Alongside these works, the historic typewriters displayed in the Olivetti Store create a dialogue between the traditional and the contemporary, adding an additional layer of reflection on the relationship between design, art, and technology.

In conjunction with the 18th Architecture Biennale and the Italian Glass Week, the FAI (Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano) hosted the exhibition "Massimo Micheluzzi at the Olivetti Store" at the historic showroom in Piazza San Marco, Venice, a space owned by Assicurazioni Generali and managed by FAI since 2011. Curated by Cristina Beltrami, the exhibition presented a collection of 44 vases made using opus sectile and blown glass mosaic techniques—a process that merges tradition and innovation, beginning with the creation of glass tiles embedded in plates, which are then blown using the traditional Murano technique.

Micheluzzi created these works starting in 2022, drawing inspiration from both the city’s artistic heritage and the architectural design of the Olivetti Store, designed by Carlo Scarpa. The exhibition is not a direct tribute to Scarpa but rather a shared reflection on their common roots, such as their connection to Byzantine mosaics, which is evident in both the store’s floor and Micheluzzi's works. Micheluzzi interprets the play of light, silence, and color that characterizes the store's architecture with glass, where the chromatic tile system of the floor, reminiscent of Venetian terrazzo, resonates in his vases and glass sculptures.

The exhibition features 44 vases and a site-specific sculpture created for the occasion, placed in a room overlooking the canal. This sculpture, made of glass plates, reinforces the connection between the artworks and the exhibition space. Alongside these works, the historic typewriters displayed in the Olivetti Store create a dialogue between the traditional and the contemporary, adding an additional layer of reflection on the relationship between design, art, and technology.

Massimo Micheluzzi – Premio Glass in Venice 2019

September 7-15, 2019, Atrium of Palazzo Loredan, Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti

In the evocative and historic setting of the atrium of Palazzo Loredan, one of the most iconic spaces in Venice, was hosted the exhibition of Massimo Micheluzzi, winner of the Premio Glass in Venice 2019. The exhibition, part of The Venice Glass Week 2019, presented a selection of glass works that elegantly interacted with their surrounding environment, enriched by the marble busts of the Panteon Veneto, which honors the illustrious figures of the city.

For this important occasion, Micheluzzi chose to showcase his series "Opus sectile", a cycle of blown-glass mosaics created in 2019, which renew the Murano tradition with a contemporary and innovative vision. The works, distinguished by the use of complex and fascinating techniques, illustrate the artist's ability to blend the classical language of glass with a modern imprint.

The displayed mosaics feature geometric and graphic patterns that evoke the legacy of Byzantine mosaics in St. Mark's Basilica and Venetian churches, as well as the iconic Venetian terrazzo.

The exhibition offered a profound reflection on Micheluzzi's creativity, highlighting his ability to merge tradition and innovation in a dialogue between past and present. The historic context of Palazzo Loredan, with its strong symbolic charge, amplified the message of the works, creating a unique atmosphere where the luminosity and delicacy of glass perfectly merged with the statues and busts that celebrate Venice's centuries-old history. This extraordinary fusion of art, history, and design made the exhibition an unmissable opportunity to explore the relationship between glass and the city that has always been its birthplace.

In the evocative and historic setting of the atrium of Palazzo Loredan, one of the most iconic spaces in Venice, was hosted the exhibition of Massimo Micheluzzi, winner of the Premio Glass in Venice 2019. The exhibition, part of The Venice Glass Week 2019, presented a selection of glass works that elegantly interacted with their surrounding environment, enriched by the marble busts of the Panteon Veneto, which honors the illustrious figures of the city.

For this important occasion, Micheluzzi chose to showcase his series "Opus sectile", a cycle of blown-glass mosaics created in 2019, which renew the Murano tradition with a contemporary and innovative vision. The works, distinguished by the use of complex and fascinating techniques, illustrate the artist's ability to blend the classical language of glass with a modern imprint.

The displayed mosaics feature geometric and graphic patterns that evoke the legacy of Byzantine mosaics in St. Mark's Basilica and Venetian churches, as well as the iconic Venetian terrazzo.

The exhibition offered a profound reflection on Micheluzzi's creativity, highlighting his ability to merge tradition and innovation in a dialogue between past and present. The historic context of Palazzo Loredan, with its strong symbolic charge, amplified the message of the works, creating a unique atmosphere where the luminosity and delicacy of glass perfectly merged with the statues and busts that celebrate Venice's centuries-old history. This extraordinary fusion of art, history, and design made the exhibition an unmissable opportunity to explore the relationship between glass and the city that has always been its birthplace.

Massimo Micheluzzi – Solve et Coagula

Casa dei Tre Oci, Sale De Maria, Venice. September 10–17, 2017

In 2017, the Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice hosted a solo exhibition by Massimo Micheluzzi, conceived by Fabio Achilli and curated by Giulio Alessandri, as part of the first edition of The Venice Glass Week. The exhibition, featuring new works created specifically for the event, was titled "Solve et Coagula", reflecting the artist's approach of blending tradition and innovation by deconstructing and reconstructing glass into forms that interact with one another.

The show, which presented around 90 new glass creations, was a tribute to the ancient Venetian glass-making tradition, crafted using Murano's traditional techniques but reinterpreted in a contemporary key.

The works were displayed in the historic Sale De Maria, where the original furnishings of the De Maria family and the Gothic windows created a captivating contrast with the purity of the glass sculptures, exploring the interplay between transparency and opacity.

A central feature of the exhibition was two large stained-glass windows, Collezione I Moderna and Collezione II Antiqua, placed in front of two ogival windows in the rooms of the Giudecca building. Micheluzzi used pieces of broken glass, donated by antiquarians and friends, fusing them with modern glass to create works with a powerful visual and symbolic impact.

This exhibition, marking Micheluzzi's first solo show in Venice, celebrated the ability of glass to reinvent itself while maintaining its centuries-old vitality, demonstrating how the glass-making tradition can continue to evolve through a modern and international language.

In 2017, the Casa dei Tre Oci in Venice hosted a solo exhibition by Massimo Micheluzzi, conceived by Fabio Achilli and curated by Giulio Alessandri, as part of the first edition of The Venice Glass Week. The exhibition, featuring new works created specifically for the event, was titled "Solve et Coagula", reflecting the artist's approach of blending tradition and innovation by deconstructing and reconstructing glass into forms that interact with one another.

The show, which presented around 90 new glass creations, was a tribute to the ancient Venetian glass-making tradition, crafted using Murano's traditional techniques but reinterpreted in a contemporary key.

The works were displayed in the historic Sale De Maria, where the original furnishings of the De Maria family and the Gothic windows created a captivating contrast with the purity of the glass sculptures, exploring the interplay between transparency and opacity.

A central feature of the exhibition was two large stained-glass windows, Collezione I Moderna and Collezione II Antiqua, placed in front of two ogival windows in the rooms of the Giudecca building. Micheluzzi used pieces of broken glass, donated by antiquarians and friends, fusing them with modern glass to create works with a powerful visual and symbolic impact.

This exhibition, marking Micheluzzi's first solo show in Venice, celebrated the ability of glass to reinvent itself while maintaining its centuries-old vitality, demonstrating how the glass-making tradition can continue to evolve through a modern and international language.

All Exhibitions

  • The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
  • The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, NY
  • The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
  • Wheaton Arts, Museum of American Glass, Millville, NJ
  • The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX
  • The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA
  • Musée Des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
  • MusVerre, Sars-Poteries, France
  • Ernsting Stiftung Alter Hof Herding, Glasmuseum Lette, Coesfeld, Germany
  • Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Villa Necchi Campiglio, Milan, Italy
  • Fondazione di Venezia, Venice, Italy
  • Museo del Vetro di Murano, Venice, Italy
  • Palazzetto Bru Zane, Venice, Italy
  • Aman Venice, Palazzo Pappadopoli Venice, Italy