Glasstress: Unveiled Realities

This summer, art shall symbolically connect the Venetian lagoon, one of the most important and frequently visited places in the world, and Sopot, the beautiful Polish seaside resort as the exhibition Glasstress makes its debut in Poland at The State Gallery of Art. 

The exhibition, “Glasstress: Unveiled Realities” is curated by Eulalia Domanowska – the Director of the State Gallery of Art in Sopot, Adriano Berengo, the founder of Berengo Studio in Murano, and Koen Vanmechelen, Belgian artist and founder of LABIOMISTA in Genk. The critically acclaimed group show returns for 2023 to showcase a selection of contemporary art made with glass. 

“In a world full of uncertainty,” Vanmechelen observes, “more than ever, we need the voice of the arts. In Sopot, we weave the artists’ works into a rich tapestry, using different narratives and techniques to provide a language that unveils the future and helps us understand the reality of our daily lives. The exhibition reveals the visible and invisible worlds, reconstructing the past and present to show us a world we have yet to know. Unveiled Realities is the midwife of the future. The glass artworks symbolize the elements of water, air, fire, and earth that represent life. Glass also reminds us of the fragility of our planet. The tension and conflicts in this part of the world are skilfully conveyed through this material. Glass lets us dream about endless variations of life.” 

The twenty-seven artists featured in this edition of Glasstress are: 

Ai Weiwei (China), Vanessa Beecroft (Italy), Monica Bonvicini (Italy), Hussein Chalayan (Cyprus), Judy Chicago (USA), Mat Collishaw (UK), Petah Coyne (USA), Endless (UK) , Josepha Gasch- Muche (Germany), Kendell Geers (South Africa), Maurycy Gomulicki (Poland), Karen LaMonte (USA), Massimo Lunardon (Italy), Vik Muniz (Brazil), Hans Op de Beeck (Belgium), Javier Pérez (Spain), Jaume Plensa (Spain), Laure Prouvost (France) Maria Grazia Rosin (Italy), Thomas Schütte (Germany), Sean Scully (Ireland), Elmar Trenkwalder (Austria), Koen Vanmechelen (Belgium), Joana Vasconcelos (Portugal), Xawery Wolski (Poland), Fred Wilson (USA), Erwin Wurm (Austria). 

The two Polish artists Maurycy Gomulicki and Xawery Wolski were selected by the gallery and invited to Murano to create artworks specifically for the exhibition. For both artists it was their first time working with the material and both interestingly created animalistic pieces that reference nature. Their artworks have been used to create the striking graphic identity of the group show where you can see their works in dialogue across the two ends of the exhibition poster.

Thanks to the cooperation with the Murano Glass Museum and the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, the Sopot exhibition will also feature a series of films presenting traditional Venetian techniques. A fitting introduction to provide the audience of the exhibition with the context from which the work of Berengo Studio and Glasstress have evolved over the years. “I am very proud to finally bring Glasstress to Poland” says Adriano Berengo. “It brings me great pleasure to know that we are introducing a new audience to the creative possibilities of glass.”

“Glasstress: Unveiled Realities”

Curated by Adriano Berengo, Eulalia Domanowska, and Koen Vanmechelen

📌The State Gallery of Art, Sopot

🗓9.07 – 22.10.2023 

⏰Tuesday – Sunday | 11:00 – 19:00 

For more information and to book tickets please head to The State Gallery website at the link here.