TEMPTATION, Glasstress Vicenza: A Selection, Palazzo Thiene, Vicenza (IT), 6 NOV 25 - 8 March 26
- koenvanmechelen
- 2 dagen geleden
- 2 minuten om te lezen
From history to glass: Glasstress Vicenza opens the door to a renewed vision of transparency, craft and collaboration. The international exhibition, curated by Francesca Valente and Jean Blanchaert, brings together over 40 works by internationally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei, Laure Prouvost, Monica Bonvicini, Koen Vanmechelen, Jaume Plensa, Emilio Isgrò, and many others. The show also debuts new works by Peter Shire, Tony Cragg, and Michelangelo Pistoletto, and includes various site-specific artworks adapted specially to the space by Massimo Lunardon, Marya Kazoun, and Alfredo Pirri.
A journey through glass, heritage and reinvention
Glasstress Vicenza is not simply a showcase of material beauty: it is an invitation to look at glass anew, as fragile yet powerful, as traditional yet ever-transforming. Since 2009 the Glasstress project has travelled across continents, thanks to contributions from major institutions: from Florence to New York, from London to St. Petersburg. Now, the journey culminates in Vicenza, where the glass masterpieces enter into dialogue with the Renaissance splendour of Palazzo Thiene, itself a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Passing through a route that winds from the ground floor into underground chambers, visitors are confronted with an evocative contrast: global artistic vision meets centuries-old local craftsmanship. Works by contemporary creators with Venetian roots sit side by side with truly international names, in a conversation between past and present, tradition and innovation.
Koen Vanmechelen — between art, nature & glass
Koen Vanmechelen’s participation in Glasstress Vicenza finds its place in this delicate balance between heritage and radical transformation. His contribution merges centuries-old glassmaking techniques with contemporary artistic inquiry, exploring the fragile boundaries between nature, culture and identity. In his work, glass becomes allegory: for vulnerability and resilience, for memory and metamorphosis, a medium that reflects both our material fragility and our creative potential.
Through this collaboration, Glasstress Vicenza underlines its core ambition: to awaken curiosity, especially among younger generations, for the cultural heritage of Murano and to reimagine glass not simply as craft, but as living art, rooted in history, reaching to the future.
Exhibition Facts
06.11.25 – 08.03.26
Palazzo Thiene, Contra’ San Gaetano Thiene 11, Vicenza
Thursday – Sunday, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry 5:30 PM)
Admission Free