The "Inchiostri" exhibition, a collaboration between designers Ronan Bouroullec and Giorgio Mastinu, alongside master glassblower Simone Cenedese, delved into the profound beauty and myriad facets of transparency. This unique showcase presented a collection of handcrafted glass creations, emphasizing the interplay of light and color to produce evocative chromatic experiences. Each piece, an embodiment of clarity and honesty, aimed to reveal the inherent elegance of its material, transforming light into an integral component of the artistic expression.
Central to the exhibition were modular glass vases, each meticulously crafted from four distinct components. These included two foundational cast glass blocks, available in various sizes and thicknesses, a delicate blown glass tube offered in two heights, and a shallow blown glass dish designed for stacking. A carefully curated palette of eleven colors imbued each element with its own unique hue. When these components were brought together, the overlapping colors and the refraction of light created a mesmerizing array of subtle chromatic vibrations, breathing life into each composition.
To enhance these visual effects, the flat surfaces of the glass elements were deliberately left unpolished, allowing for a more intense, almost vibrant diffusion of color. In contrast, the edges were precisely polished, ensuring that light could pass through unimpeded, thus creating a captivating paradox. This technique evoked the traditional Venetian glazing methods, where profound depth is achieved through layers of transparency, and luminosity emerges from what might initially appear as darkness. The exhibition's title, "Inchiostri"—meaning "inks"—aptly captured this intriguing duality, highlighting how light interacts with colored glass to create rich, ink-like effects.
The concept of combination is a recurring motif in Bouroullec's design philosophy, notably seen in his 1997 "Vases combinatoires." These earlier works, comprising eight polyurethane elements, were individually functionless yet offered boundless possibilities when interlocked. This foundational exploration of combinatorics, drawing inspiration from luminaries such as Giorgio Morandi and Sol LeWitt, found a compelling echo in the "Inchiostri" exhibition, reinforcing the theme of user interaction and creative assembly.
From the vast array of permutations possible with these glass elements, Bouroullec meticulously selected twenty compositions. Each chosen arrangement explored the principles of assemblage without mechanical fasteners, achieving a delicate balance between the robust solidity of cast glass and the ethereal fragility of blown glass. The designs emphasized how elevation and structural integrity could be attained through precise distribution of weight, turning each piece into a study of equilibrium and form.
The cultural impact of the exhibition was further underscored by its recognition at the fifth edition of The Venice Glass Week, where it received the prestigious Premio Fondazione di Venezia. The jury lauded the exhibition for its "reduced formal vocabulary" of light, color, and treated surfaces, praising it for embodying "poetry, enchantment, and magic." This accolade acknowledged the collection's success in bridging the global language of cast glass with the rich, historical tradition of Murano's renowned blown-glass artistry.
Hovering between the realms of sculpture and functional vessel, "Inchiostri" navigated a fascinating conceptual boundary. The mere addition of a single stem, often a delicate gypsophila, transformed the contemplative object into a practical vase, blurring the lines between art and utility. The glass blocks themselves, fashioned from "cotissi"—irregular fragments salvaged from the glassblowing process—grounded the pieces in centuries-old material culture, while simultaneously inviting endless possibilities for reassembly. In this context, transparency was not an absence, but rather an active collaboration—a harmonious interplay between color and light, the vision of the artist and the skill of the artisan, and the object itself and the perception of the viewer.