NEW PERSPECTIVES IN #GLASS

SWING Design Gallery is pleased to present NEW PERSPECTIVES IN #GLASS, the second chapter following the NEW PERSPECTIVES IN #CERAMIC in the NEW PERSPECTIVES exhibition series whose aim is to rediscover the sensory and expressive dimension of design grounded in the importance of materials. The exhibition explores the world of glass through the eyes of ten designers, each with different backgrounds, vocabularies, and geographical origins. The gallery is opening its doors to a dialogue between design pieces in collaboration with international glass factories and artisans in an exhibition conceived to recount new expressive, aesthetic, and formal possibilities. Striking the balance between experimentation and tradition are works by: Studio Berg, Giovanni Botticelli, Riccardo Cenedella con Barbini Specchi Veneziani, Lucia Massari, Daniel Nikolowski, Sara Ricciardi, Clara Schweers, Studio Terre, Alissa Volchkova, and Anna Jožová. Mirrors, vases, sculptures, tables, and glasses draw connections between age-old techniques used to make glass objects and expressions of contemporary collectible design. The history of glass production ties back to its spread among the peoples of Pompeii. Alissa Volchkova‘s collection of vases POMPEI evokes that history, mixing classic and simple forms with imperfect and irregular lines. This design challenges the concept of beauty, typically associated with symmetry, fineness, and delicacy. Studio Berg delves into the ability of objects to transport us through time and space. The CANDY mirror and tables bring back the tastes of childhood: candies, sugar sticks, and lollipops. Riccardo Cenedella in collaboration with Barbini Specchi Veneziani is introducing CRUMBLE DE VERRE, for the first time to the public. This collection mirrors continues his exploration of re-using scraps. He takes an experimental approach inspired by glass paste, which preceded the blown glass technique, having already been used in the Phoenician and Egyptian eras. Giovanni Botticelli creates a small architectural work in which everyone can participate through different compositional options. VETRINETTE alternates transparent and reflective surfaces on colored sand that contemplates the very material origins of glass. Clara Schweers‘s work plays on the lines between digital and material. ILLUSION MIRRORS leaves viewers unable to distinguish between glass, ceramics, and the glossy patterns of computer-generated images. Studio Terre‘s pieces are where art, design, and craft meet, drawing on the aesthetics and feel of the Mediterranean. They adopt ancient production methods that look to the past but speak of the future. MS. MOSTRINI is a sculpture that evokes the organic, sculptural quality of the marine world. Anna Jožová‘s work features hybrid and primitive forms. The NAVA vase came out of experiments with the pressure-blown glass technique. Its structures are borrowed from nature, using methods like photography, 3D printing, and cast iron, and then transferred into the glass form. Daniel Nikolovski, Lucia Massari, and Sara Ricciardi offer fresh interpretations of tableware, such as wine glasses, drinking glasses, and cups. ENIGMA COUPE by Daniel Nikolowski pays tribute to medieval chalices, known for their anthropomorphic features. STRATA cocktail glasses by Lucia Massari for Strega Alberti are part of a vein of work that demonstrates how glass can be used like a moldable color. CLUMPY GLASS by Sara Ricciardi is a collection of multipurpose cups made with the fused glass technique. These material and sensual glasses suggest the slow, joyful atmosphere of Sunday lunches in southern Italy.