FontanaArte's Glass House: A Century of Design at Le Stanze del Vetro

A new exhibition at Le Stanze del Vetro on Venice's San Giorgio Maggiore Island traces the history of FontanaArte, the Milanese glass manufacturer founded by Luigi Fontana in 1881. The show begins in the 1930s with the invention of tempered glass in America and progresses through the company's artistic directors: Gio Ponti (from 1931), Pietro Chiesa (1933-1948), Max Ingrand (post-WWII through 1967), Ponti again as consultant (1967), and Gae Aulenti (from 1979), who brought in Ettore Sottsass, Renzo Piano, and Umberto Riva. Highlights include Ponti's mirrors with relief figures, Ingrand's Dahlia chandeliers and shell-shaped lamps inspired by Chartres Cathedral, Chiesa's folded-glass 'cartoccio' vases, and Aulenti's Tour table referencing Marcel Duchamp. The final rooms explore the 'glass house' concept, with displays by Massimiliano Locatelli using glass partitions to suggest domestic spaces. Featured pieces include Ponti's wardrobe with Piero Fornasetti, Ingrand's 1955 glass table, and Fontanit bathroom tiles.