"Italian artist Fabrizio Plessi is internationally recognized for his pioneering video art and experimental, conceptually rooted approach to natural materials. Chief among these is water, which he has engaged with seriously since the late 1960s. Using the elemental and metaphoric aspects of water, his practice taps into ideas around time, memory, life, and the supreme power of nature. Now, a new body of work and exhibition reflects the artist's latest water-inspired project and a bold vision brought to life through the time-honored tradition of Murano glassmaking."
"Presented at the recently rebranded Galleria Barovier and Toso, formerly Barovier and Toso Arte, based in Venice, " Fabrizio Plessi: Drowning in a Glass of Water " features a monumental installation of rings placed in dialogue with the gallery's own four historic and opulent chandeliers. The juxtaposition of heritage craftsmanship and contemporary sculptures, which portray moving images of water complemented by an audio element featuring water sounds, evokes considerations around the passing of time and the evolution of creative expression. It also points to the creative collaboration between Plessi, Barovier and Toso, and the Murano glassmaking company, which has a history dating back to 1295. Together, it is an homage to the history and present of Venetian ingenuity."
"Beyond the large-scale installation of rings, an adjacent space showcases a range of glass sculptural forms based on the foundational forms of glass that have been used and recognized for several millennia. Carafes, tumblers, bottles, Plessi's glass sculptures are informed by those that have traditionally been made to contain water since antiquity-and they appear equally functional, but only at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the pieces reveal themselves to be largely solid with space to hold only a small amount of liquid."
Fabrizio Plessi engages water as an elemental and metaphoric medium to probe time, memory, life, and nature's power. A new body of work translates this focus into glass through collaboration with Murano artisans at Galleria Barovier and Toso. The exhibition places monumental glass rings alongside four historic chandeliers, pairing moving images of water with recorded water sounds to emphasize temporal and creative continuities. The collaboration foregrounds Venetian glassmaking traditions dating to 1295. An adjoining room presents sculptural carafes, tumblers, and bottles that reference functional vessels but are largely solid, holding only a small amount of liquid while evoking water through color and form.
Read at Artnet News
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