13 September 2021
One of the largest exhibitions of works made of glass by contemporary masters was opened at the General Staff Building of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. It occupies more than ten halls of the museum. The exhibition “Glasstress. A Window to the Future” includes more than 50 works, including those by Jan Fabre, Ai Weiwei, the Chapman brothers, etc. The exhibition will run from 11 September till 31 October, 2021. The artisans of the Berengo Studio from the island of Murano collaborate with contemporary artists and this project has existed for 12 years. Today it is presented in the Hermitage Museum. An artist comes up with an idea, and the professionals from Murano decide which way is the best to implement this idea. From such traditional conservative material as glass, it turned out that it is possible to make almost anything: from a natural-sized hammock to crutches. Glass is a unique material, delicate and incredibly durable at the same time. The works of artists, if they are not accidentally broken, will live essentially forever. They act as a kind of message to the future. Through their works, artists from different countries comprehend social processes, historical events, personal experience and philosophy. Visitors of the exhibition will see a cross-section of world art life. They will also be able to learn how traditional glass production technologies can be used in creating works of art.