Murano Island, located about 1.5 km from Venice, is famous as an island where glass crafts thrive. In 1291, the government of the Republic of Venice passed a law requiring all glass craftsmen to move to Murano Island and forbid them from freely leaving the island. On the island, craftsmen have developed unique glass manufacturing methods one after another over the centuries, building the reputation of Venetian glass to an unshakable position around the world.

Even today, most Venetian glass is produced in workshops on the island of Murano, where artisans maintain the traditions passed down from generation to generation while seeking new ideas and techniques every day, producing a variety of works that keep up with the times.

This exhibition will bring together works from the museum's collection by eight masters, including Archimede Seguso and Alfredo Barbini, who led the Venetian glass world and have continued to influence many artists with their advanced techniques and artistry.

Even if the same "glass" and "technique" are used, the impression you get from a work will be completely different depending on the artist. Also, even if it is the same artist, depending on the theme and production period, you can see a wide range of styles and expressiveness that makes it hard to believe they are all the work of the same person.

Each work is a unique "worldview" that embodies "the object (imagination) that exists in the artist's mind." The "worldview" sublimated into the work is influenced in a complex way by various elements such as the world that artists who have lived their lives with glass have faced through their creative activities - life, thought, lifestyle, culture, nature, etc.

By seeing the works in front of us and sharing the "worldview" expressed through their designs, beautiful colors, and difficult techniques, we may be able to come face to face with the artists through glass, transcending time and place.
When we, the viewers, are moved by a work of art, we can say that it goes beyond the theme of the work and that the artist's "worldview" resonates with our sensibilities.

Please enjoy the supreme glass art created by the masters of Venetian glass that fascinates the world.

■Eight great masters introduced in this exhibition■
Archimede Seguso Alfredo Barbini Pino Signoretto Romano De Angeli Lucio Bubacco Vittorio Costantini Livio Seguso Ricio Zanetti