Ettore Sottsass's Glass Works at Le Stanze del Vetro, Venice
Ettore Sottsass (1917–2007) launched his career in glass design in 1947 with the Sfera a reticello at the VIII Triennale di Milano. His initial collection for Luciano Vistosi represented a new focus on light expression. In 1974, he designed ten glasses, including Morosina, Dogaressa, and Schiavona, drawing inspiration from Renaissance Venetian art. After establishing the Memphis collective in 1981, he created vases utilizing chemical glue. A 1986 collection explored form interpenetration for diverse transparency. The 1990s saw the introduction of Capricci and Esercizi, featuring geometric designs with pear wood molds. In 1999, he worked with CIRVA on six Lingam pieces and was commissioned to create 22 sculptures for Doha's Millennium House. His final series, comprising 18 vases, was completed in 2006, and a 2017 exhibition at Le Stanze del Vetro in Venice highlighted his contributions.
Key facts
- Ettore Sottsass created his first glass work, Sfera a reticello, in 1947 for the VIII Triennale di Milano.
- The Sfera a reticello was photographed for Domus alongside Sardinian agro-pastoral earthenware.
- Sottsass's first glass series was produced for Luciano Vistosi.
- In 1974, Sottsass designed ten glasses (Morosina, Dogaressa, Schiavona) inspired by Renaissance Venetian female imagery.
- Sottsass founded the Memphis collective in 1981 and used chemical glue for vases, subverting hot-glue tradition.
- In the 1990s, he created Capricci and Esercizi using pear wood molds (now lost) and rare marbles like Nero Marquinia and Grigio carnico.
- In 1999, Sottsass collaborated with CIRVA in Marseille on six Lingam, and was commissioned 22 sculptures for Millennium House in Doha.
- His last series (2006) for Galleria Mourmans consisted of 18 vases in a limited edition of nine, succeeding the Kachina series.
Entities
Artists
- Ettore Sottsass
- Pevsner
- Gabo
- Roberta Vanali
Institutions
- Le Stanze del Vetro
- Fondazione Cini
- VIII Triennale di Milano
- Domus
- Memphis
- CIRVA
- Galleria Mourmans
- Artribune
Locations
- Venice
- Italy
- Innsbruck
- Austria
- Milan
- Marseille
- France
- Doha
- Qatar