Michela Cattai's glass works dialogue with antiquity at Venice's National Archaeological Museum

Michela Cattai's glass sculptures are on view at the National Archaeological Museum of Venice until November 30, 2025, in the exhibition 'ArcheoMateria.' Curated by Francesca Giubilei with glass historian Rosa Barovier Mentasti, the show presents around thirty works that engage with classical statuary and architecture. Cattai, born in 1965, employs traditional Murano glass techniques to create pieces that evoke archaeological fragments and ancient columns. The exhibition is part of a broader initiative by director Marianna Bressan to open the museum to contemporary art, following the recent reopening of the Cortile dell'Agrippa. The installation was designed by CIMENTO, with support from Terre D'Aenòr. The artist reflects on how matter preserves and transforms time, offering a non-didactic dialogue between past and present.