Fondazione Berengo
Fondazione Berengo was founded as a leading institutional voice to introduce glass to the world of contemporary art. An extension of Adriano Berengo’s original vision, which began with his studio in Murano back in 1989, the foundation works to provide a platform for revitalising the centuries-old traditions of Venetian glass while also working to foster a vibrant community of contemporary art through innovative collaborations and partnerships.
Based in the Palazzo Franchetti in the heart of Venice the Fondazione assisted the launch of the critically acclaimed GLASSTRESS exhibition in 2009. The project debuted as a collateral event of the Venice Biennale, displaying artworks in the historical Palazzo for five consecutive editions. Thanks to its success GLASSTRESS became a traveling event presented in the cities of Riga, Stockholm, New York, Beirut, London and in 2015 enjoyed a prestigious collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.
The Fondazione Berengo has also been responsible for many of the leading exhibitions of art in glass in Italy over the last few years, including a solo show of the Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence (Seduzione, 2022), the first solo show of Tony Cragg in Murano and the first exhibition dedicated to his use of glass (Tony Cragg - Silicon Dioxide, 2021-22), and the latest exhibition of Ai Weiwei in Venice at the Basilica di San Giorgio Maggiore (La Commedia Umana - Memento Mori, 2022). Other notable exhibitions organized in the past include the first retrospective of Zaha Hadid after her death in 2016, and Memphis - Plastic Field, a survey of works by the renowned Italian design group, held in Venice during the 16th edition of the Biennale of Architecture. In 2018 the Fondazione partnered with the artistic duo Penzo+Fiore to present an exhibition series called Radical in the Palazzo space which worked to spotlight contemporary artists and cultivate new talents.
As a second home for GLASSTRESS, and the future permanent collection, the Fondazione opened an exhibition space in Murano in an abandoned glass furnace. In 2019 it is this unique space that held the anniversary edition of GLASSTRESS to celebrate a decade of the original project. Fondazione Berengo is a vital force in Venice’s contemporary art scene and has created a vibrant artistic community dedicated to enriching the possibilities of artistic practice with glass, as well as supporting art in other mediums inspired by its creative potential.