Vik Muniz, Individuals, 2017, glass, three elements at 64 high and 19 1/2 inches diameter. Courtesy Berengo Studio.
This exhibition of new projects showcased over 30 international artists who have created works in glass in collaboration with the master glass artisans at Berengo Studio on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon. Glasstress Boca Raton 2021 was a sequel to the acclaimed 2016 Glasstress exhibition at Boca Raton Museum of Art and included new major works created since that time. A fully-illustrated catalog accompanied the exhibition.
Some of the world's leading contemporary artists were invited to breathe new life into centuries-old glassmaking in Venice ― maestros of glassblowing from the legendary Berengo Studio residency helped artists manifest their visions
Among the 34 artists: Ai Weiwei, Fred Wilson, Joyce J. Scott, Nancy Burson, Jimmie Durham, Ugo Rondinone, Fiona Banner, Vik Muniz, Monica Bonvicini, Jake & Dinos Chapman, Laure Prouvost, Renate Bertlmann, Thomas Schütte, and Erwin Wurm ― Most of these art stars have represented their countries at the Venice Biennale.
“There is every reason this year to have a world view,” said Irvin Lippman, the Boca Raton Museum of Art’s Executive Director, as South Florida boldly ushered in the New Year with the national premiere of Glasstress Boca Raton 2021. “Three years in the making, with 2020 being such a challenging year to coordinate an international exhibition of this size and scope, the effort serves as an important reassurance that art is an essential and enduring part of humanity. This is also a tribute to the resilience of Venice’s surviving the floods and continuing to make art through the pandemic.” Most of these works in glass were never before seen, and were handpicked by Kathleen Goncharov, the Museum’s Senior Curator who traveled to Italy in 2019. The new exhibition ran January 27 through September 5, 2021 and the Museum featured online initiatives for virtual viewing.
