Glass Utopia

Glass Utopia

31 October – 14 December 2019

Federica Biasi | Peter Bowles | Mel Douglas | Gala Fernandez | Liam Fleming | Elizabeth Kelly | Jenni Kemarre Martiniello | Federico Peri | Tom Skeehan | Stories of Italy | Zanellato/Bortotto | Matteo Zorzenoni

Inspired by the Murano glass chandelier that Italian architect Enrico Taglietti and his wife Francesca installed at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence in Canberra in 1967, the Glass Utopia exhibition draws a parallel between Venetian contemporary glass production and the Australian experience.

This significant exhibition brings together traditional and contemporary craft practice in a modern design context. It launched the 2019 DESIGN Canberra festival when it premiered in Canberra at the official residence of the Italian Ambassador to Australia.

Featuring a selection of contemporary glass pieces by six Italian designers and six Australia designers (including four Canberra glass artists), Glass Utopia stimulates a visual dialogue between the objects, artists and glassmaking traditions in both Italy and Australia. Glass Utopia has been expertly curated by Annalisa Rosso and Francesco Mainardi of Mr.Lawrence, Milan, Italy.

After a brief tour to Design Tasmania in early 2020, the Glass Utopia exhibition will travel to Italy to participate in Venice Glass Week (5-13 September 2020) and Milan Design Week (13-18 April 2021), thanks to the generous support of Intesa Sanpaolo and Conzortio Tutela Prosecco DOC.

Glass Utopia is a signature exhibition for the DESIGN Canberra festival made possible with the generous support of Craft ACT: Craft + Design CentreAusglass and Design Tasmania. The exhibition’s international tour to Italy has been made possible thanks to the generous support of Intesa Sanpaolo and CosorzioTutela Prosecco DOC.

Mr.Lawrence is a Design and Brand Consultancy founded in 2018 by Annalisa Rosso, design writer, content consultant and independent curator, currently editor-in-chief of Icon Design magazine (Mondadori); and Francesco Mainardi (aka theBrandist), brand strategist and creative director, currently professor of Design Management at Istituto Marangoni.

View the Glass Utopia exhibition catalogue online.

Dates:
Craft ACT: Craft + Design Centre: 31 October – 14 December 2019
Design Tasmania: 06 March - 05 April 2020
Venice Glass Week: 05 September – 13 September 2020
Milan Design Week: 13 April - 18 April 2021



Cover image: Federico Peri, Salviati Calici Lamp. Photo: Courtesy of the artist.
Above image: Glass Utopia on display at the Italian Ambassador's residence, during DESIGN Canberra 2019. Photo: Anthony Basheer