International Conference Vittorio Zecchin 1878-1947. Painting and Decorative Arts in Venice
In 2017 the Glass Study Centre continues its series of conferences on designers who have collaborated with the Venini glassworks. The sixth international conference – in the format of a study day associated with the upcoming autumn exhibition – will focus on the Murano artist Vittorio Zecchin (1878-1947).
After graduating from Venice fine art school, Zecchin soon stood out for his impatience with the late 19th-century verista culture and, on the contrary, his interest in some of the new ideas stemming from the Venice Biennale, which led him to pursue research into Symbolism and the works of the Middle-European avant-gardes. Having taken part in the intense season of exhibitions with Ca’ Pesaro as a driving force in Venice (at this time he made and showed tapestries, embroidery and enamelled glass), Zecchin came into contact and collaborated with various people active in the city, such as the painter Teodoro Wolf Ferrari and the glassmakers Artisti Barovier. In his prominent role as artistic director of Cappellin Venini (1921-1925) and then M.V.M. Cappellin & C. (from 1926), he designed glass with an innovative impact and original refinements without ever neglecting research into the stylisation of form.
The papers at the conference will focus on a variety of topics dealing with Zecchin’s experience and inventive skills, while also exploring the associated themes and fields in which he was active. Starting from the Venetian background, the following subjects will be addressed: his personal approach to the decorative arts (including a comparison with the Italian and international scene), the close relationship between painting, glass and the world of the applied arts in general, and his presence at the major events of the time, such as the Biennial Exhibitions at Monza from 1923 to 1927.