Glass Study Centre

Thanks to a joint initiative between the Fondazione Giorgio Cini and Pentagram Stiftung, the Glass Study Centre was established within the Institute of Art History in 2012. 

Now a crucial point of reference for the study of art glass, the archive has progressively collected invaluable documentary materials from the major historic glassworks of Murano. These collections mainly consist of drawings, plans, correspondence, and period photographic reproductions, which now represent irreplaceable resources available to the scientific community to promote the safeguarding, research, and enhancement of modern and contemporary glass art.

Among the archives housed at the Centre are those of Aureliano Toso, Barovier Seguso and Ferro, M.V.M. Cappellin & C., Pauly & C. – C.V.M, Seguso Vetri d’Arte, Società Veneziana Conterie, and Vetrerie Antonio Salviati. The collection also includes works by some of the most renowned glass designers, including Emmanuel Babled, Fulvio Bianconi, Luigi Scarpa Croce, Dino Martens, Flavio Poli, Ginny Ruffner, Carlo Scarpa, Peter Shire, and Vinicio Vianello. More recently, the prestigious archives of notable contemporary artists such as Cristiano Bianchin, Silvano Rubino, Giorgio Vigna, and the great master glassmaker Pino Signoretto have been added.

The Centre also organises temporary exhibitions, conferences, and seminars, designed as in-depth explorations of the exhibitions in the Stanze del Vetro. It is actively engaged in the systematic cataloguing of its archival heritage and the implementation of digitisation campaigns. To date, the digital registry includes materials from the extensive archive, both graphic and photographic, of the Seguso Vetri d’Arte glassworks, which provides a comprehensive record of the rich production line of the historic furnace from 1932 to 1973. Additionally, the archive of artist Vinicio Vianello, a central figure in Spatialism and a pioneering experimenter in the field of glass art, has been digitised. His renowned Atomici vases, along with his lighting and design models, are part of this collection.

Among the digital collections available are those of prominent contemporary artists active in Murano, including Ginny Ruffner, Peter Shire, and various significant projects by Emmanuel Babled. Finally, the Dino Martens archive has also been digitised.