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Paolo Venini (12 January 1895– 22 July 1959)[1] emerged as one of the leading figures in the production ofMurano glass and an important contributor to twentieth centuryItalian design. He is known for having founded the eponymous Venini & C. glassworks.
Venini was born in the town ofCusano nearMilan, Italy. After serving in theRoyal Italian Army inWorld War I, he trained as a lawyer[2] and began his practice in Milan. He soon developed an acquaintance with Giacomo Cappellin, a native ofVenice who owned a Milan antiques shop.[3][4][5]
In 1921 Venini and Cappellin opened a glass factory called Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Cappellin Venini & C. on the islands ofMurano, the historic glass production centre in the lagoon ofVenice, Italy. With Luigi Ceresa and Emilio Hochs as investors, they arranged to purchase the recently closed Murano glass factory of Andrea Rioda, hire the former firm'sglassblowers, and retain Rioda himself to serve as technical director of the venture.[6]
Their plans went quickly awry, however, when Rioda died before production had begun. Several of the principal glassblowers decamped to found a competitor firm under the name Successori Andrea Rioda. Nonetheless, the venture was successfully launched and prospered with support from the founders' distribution contacts in Milan. The firm also benefited from a commitment to introducing new, modern design concepts.
Following disputes between the founders, Cappellin withdrew from the firm in 1925 and opened a competing business, which hired most of Venini's master glassblowers.[citation needed] Venini reorganized with new glassblowers, first as Vetro Soffiati Muranesi Venini & C. (V.S.M. Venini & C.), and later simply Venini & C., ultimately becoming one of the most well known Murano glassworks.[6]
The company entrusted the creative direction to Murano sculptorNapoleone Martinuzzi [it], although Paolo Venini himself played a role in designing several of the company's best-known products, including the "Fazzoletto" (handkerchief) series, which he created with designerFulvio Bianconi [it].[2][7] Venini embarked on collaborations with architects and designers such asCini Boeri,Tomaso Buzzi [it],Gio Ponti,Carlo Scarpa,Ettore Sottsass,Alessandro Mendini,Tapio Wirkkala,Gae Aulenti,Tyra Lundgren,Mona Morales-Schildt, andMassimo Vignelli (who would also go on to design the company's new graphic identity and logo in 1982).[3][8] The ethos was to "take the Murano tradition of glass blowing and combine it with theFrench fashion industry's tradition of using designers."[1] The practice of working with notable designers has continued and includes more recent collaborations withTadao Ando,Asymptote,Barber & Osgerby, theCampana brothers, andPeter Marino.[9]
Following Venini's death in 1959, the company continued for over twenty years under the management of other family members and was then sold in 1985.[citation needed]
In 1997 Società Venini S.p.A. was acquired by Royal Scandinavia group.[10][11][better source needed]
In 2001, the company was sold to Italian Luxury Industries Group, and subsequently acquired byDamiani S.p.A. [it] in 2016.[12]
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On the occasion of the opening of the newly foundedFrauenau Glass Museum on 6 May 1975, the museum presented a special exhibitionVenini-Murano with works from theWolfgang Kermer collection for the first time in Germany.[13]
In 2002 the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain staged an exhibition called “Fragilisme di Alessandro Mendini” the centrepiece of which was a Venini glass sculpture titled "Guerrier de Verre".[14][15]
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