THE HISTORY

1922

The brand opened its stores in Venice, in Piazzetta Leoncini, and in Paris.

The first series designed by Vittorio Zecchin was presented at the Salon d’Automne and at the XIII Biennale in Venice with a chandelier placed in the vestibule of the Central Pavilion. The collection was also exhibited at the Trade Fair in Milan.

1924

VENINI won the national contest launched by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the supply of “cristallerie” (glassware) destined to all the Italian embassies abroad. The pieces, called Ambasciata, are still produced today for the Italian offices abroad.

1926

At the XV Biennale d’Arte in Venice, VENINI presented a large glass fountain and chandelier designed by Napoleone Martinuzzi, of which Gabriele D’Annunzio would say: “be the design more splendid than the glass … the beauty of your vases so light that it truly seems to breathe in the soul”.

Thanks to the consolidated friendship with the poet, Martinuzzi created brightly coloured fruits upon commission – Canestri mounted on lighting columns and chandeliers for the Vittoriale degli Italiani.

The brand opened its store in via Condotti in Rome.

1929

The first humorous glass animals by Napoleone Martinuzzi made their appearance by winning the Grand Prix at the Esposicion Internacional de Arte Moderno in Barcelona.

Accompanying them, in full resonance with Nature, were sophisticated glass pieces shaped like succulent plants and the works of art called Acquari di vetro.

1932

The collaboration with Martinuzzi came to an end and the partnership with Tommaso Buzzi and Carlo Scarpa began.

While Buzzi made opaque glass pieces in the complex colours of Alba (Dawn), Alga (Algae), Laguna (Lagoon) and Tramonto (Sunset), VENINI’s lighting departments started to grow with the project for Palazzo della Borsa in Milan (the city’s stock market building), the Torre della Rivoluzione tower in Brescia with architect Marcello Piacentini, the Banca Popolare di Milano, the building of the Corporation Ministry, and the motorship Conte di Savoia in Genoa with architect Pulitzer.

That same year, VENINI presented the work La Mano di Atlante by Tomaso Buzzi, made with the mosaic technique, which is still preserved in the VENINI Museum, together with other rare and precious works.

At the same time, VENINI created the lighting for Palazzo della Borsa in Milan.

1934

VENINI welcomed Carlo Scarpa, who created the first Sommersi vases.

Diamante by Paolo Venini and the glassworks by Carlo Scarpa were presented at the XIX Biennale d’Arte in Venice. Soon, they were also exhibited in the Mostra della Nuova Torino, the Garden Exhibition in Florence, and the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. VENINI’s art also put its signature on the Croff store in Milan, the American Bar in Venice, and the Palazzo Reale in Bolzano.

1936

The fruitful collaboration with Carlo Scarpa continued as he designed the series Murrine Opache Romane and Corrosi.

VENINI arrived at the XX Biennale D’Arte in Venice and at the VI Triennale in Milan, where it obtained the Gran Premio with its new glassworks: Diamante. On this occasion, Paolo Venini met the ceramist Tyra Lundgren, whom he invited to Murano. In collaboration with architect Pulitzer, the brand prepared a project for Palazzo del Conte di Savoia.

1938

VENINI’s first exhibition in Scandinavia, at the Nordiska Kompaniet in Stockholm.

Paolo Venini exhibited Scarpa’s new glassworks, which are heavy, worked with the grinding wheel, and decorated with figurative and abstract etchings. The engraver is master Piano. Paolo Venini participated in the first Artek exhibition in Helsinki, curated by Alvar Aalto’s first wife, Aino.

1943

During the war, Paolo Venini combined his artistic production with the series production of lamps and bottles. The company VENINI won the contest launched among glass factories in Murano to create a Centrotavola (Centerpiece) for the University of Padua. The different faculties were represented by glass animals designed by Carlo Scarpa.

1948

Fulvio Bianconi designed the masks of Commedia dell’Arte, the group of Musici and the Grotteschi. For the first time, the large obelisks and columns were made in massive ground glass.

At the XXIV Biennale d’Arte in Venice, VENINI also presented the Fenici vases and the Serpi by Tyra Lundgren.

1950

In Milan, at the Galleria del Naviglio, Venini presented Bianconi’s glassworks: the Pezzati.

1952

Historical exhibition at the XXVI Biennale in Venice:

VENINI presented a review of its recent production and its new triple zanfirici.

The brand’s presence escalated: in Munich at the Neue Sammlung Museum; in New York at Georg Jensen together with Orrefors; in Stockholm at the Nordiska Kompaniet; and in Toronto with a personal exhibition at Eeton. Personal exhibition at the Museé des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.

1954

Franco Albini designed a series of lamps with linear shapes and opalino glass.

The collaboration with Massimo Vignelli began with the series of lamps 4000, which was awarded the Compasso d’oro at the Triennale di Milano. Piero Fornasetti and his creativity arrived in Venini.

New great lighting projects for the Hotel Continental in Rome; the Olivetti Corporation of America on a design by the firm B.B.P.R., the Fulda theatre in Germany on a design by Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, and the roofing above the courtyard at Palazzo Grassi in Venice with ballotton spheres, called Velario.

1956

Massimo Vignelli was awarded the Compasso d’Oro at the XXVIII Biennale d’Arte in Venice for his Funghi, lamps in bands of tessuto (woven) glass. The same location exhibited Paolo Venini’s Incisi and Gio Ponti’s Morandiane bottles in two-coloured canes.

1958

The collaboration with Tobia Scarpa began.

Paolo Venini and Ignazio Gardella invented the polyhedrons. These glassworks were presented as a large lighting installation with modular polyhedrons shaped like a cascade for the Turin EXPO in 1961.

1960

Thomas Stearns, a weaver from Philadelphia, was captured by the magic of the Fornace: this would be the first of a long line of American collaborations.

A large retrospective of Paolo Venini’s work was hosted at the XII Triennale in Milan.

In its December issue, Domus published an article in memory of Paolo Venini. During the XXX Biennale in Venice, VENINI presented the series Battuti by Tobia Scarpa and two glass windows in coloured strips of murrine glass.

The modular drop-shaped glassworks were used for the first time in a lighting project according to a design by Vico Magistretti and Marco Zanuso for the Hotel Excelsior in Lido di Venezia.

Thomas Stearns, a weaver from Philadelphia, arrived at the Fornace. The first of a long line of American collaborations.

1963

The series Christofle by Massimo Vignelli was born. Glassworks etched by Venini and Christofle silver. VENINI created the lighting project for the Intercontinental Hotel in Frankfurt.

1966

Tronchi, Ninfee, Scolpiti, Bastoniby Toni Zuccheri and Tapio Wirkkala’s Gondolieri Coreani, Lapponi, Pianissimo, Bolle, Calici, Colletti became the stars of the XXXIII Biennale d’Arte in Venice and the XIV Triennale delle Arti Decorative in Milan.

The Excelsior project in Lido di Venezia was created in collaboration with Lucio Fontana and Ignazio Gardella.

1968

VENINI designed the ceiling lighting project for the Terme Excelsior in Montecatini with multi-coloured glass cubes and also designed the lighting for the New Orleans Hospitality Room in New York.

1971

Even now if you look at the ceiling in the hall of the Mandarin Hotel in Singapore, you can admire the extraordinary chandelier weighing 25 tons with transparent glass blocks assembled on a steel structure and transfixed by light and water. The project was designed by Don Ashton.

VENINI created the lighting for the Swiss Credit Bank and the Wall Street Branch in New York.

1973

Dan Dailey joined the company to practice the art of glassmaking. The new lighting of The World Trade Center in NYC was created by VENINI, according to the design of architect Yamasaki. The lighting in the Intercontinental Hotel in Riyadh is just as magnificent.

1979

Laura de Santillana designed dishes in murrine for the exhibition “New glass ‘79” held at the Corning Museum. Her creations won the Grand Prix. Toni Zuccheri designed the new Anatre and Fischioni in ground glass. New light for the “Fourrures George V” in Paris.

1982

Massimo Vignelli designed VENINI’s new graphic image. The exhibition “Smithsonian” opened at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Montreal. Laura de Santillana designed the vase Biro. VENINI created the lighting for the new TV headquarters in Riyadh and for the Hotel Pavillon in Miami. Halogen lamps were presented at Euroluce.

1985

Large lighting design project for the Royal Palace in Algar. Presentation of “Cielo” (Sky): Magistretti, Deganello, de Martini, within the framework of the research carried out with Francesco Binfarè. New lamps by Cini Boeri.

1988

The beginning of projects with international artists and designers, including: Alessandro Mendini with Acco, Simira, Dor, Arado, Berito. With important refurbishing operations at the company headquarters in Murano. New lamps by Maria Cristina Cini Boeri, Bruno Gecchelin, Christian Spaltestein.

1990

The decade opened with the entry of new artists, architects and designers.

Among these, the most unforgettable are Ettore Sottsass, Emanuel Babled, Gae Aulenti, Paolo Deganello, Vico Magistretti, Alessandro Mendini, Mario Bellini, Paolo Portoghesi, Cini Boeri, Bruno Gecchellin, Giorgio Vigna and Marco Zanini. Each of them left a mark in this company.

1992

VENINI lighted up the offices of the Bank of Italy in Rome, Milan, and Naples. The collection Galassia by Alessandro Mendini was presented at Euroluce together with the collection I sogni Infranti by Mario Bellini.

1995

The collaboration with Gae Aulenti began with the design of Torto e Ritorto and Geacolor. Rodolfo Dordoni created the vases Magi.

1997

Even fashion reached the halls of the Fornace: fashion designer Gianni Versace personally designed a collection for Venini, V.V.V. (Vetri Versace Venini).

2001

The company was purchased by Italian Luxury Industries, the Italian group owned by entrepreneurs Giancarlo and Gabriella Chimento and Giuliano and Guglielmo Tabacchi.

The new ownership embraced the ideal that has always fed the corporate identity: design skill, innovation, experimentation and research.

2003

The company presented new collections and works in limited editions designed by Giorgio Vigna, Alessandro Mendini, Sandro Chia and Mimmo Rotella.

2006

VENINI’s 85th anniversary coincided with Carlo Scarpa’s birth centenary. To celebrate, some past editions were relaunched in limited editions. On this occasion, Alessandro Mendini wrote a reflection on the value and meaning of VENINI in the world of art: this would then become the Manifesto of the company.

2010

The company’s innovations were pushed to new limits in collaboration with some of the most important names in international design, such as Fabio Novembre, Luca Nichetto, Gaetano Pesce, Matteo Thun, Atelier Oï, Studio Job, Emmanuel Babled, Harri Koskinen, Diego Chilò, Ronan and Erwan Bourroulec, and Leonardo Ranucci.

Among them, Tadao Ando stands out with the famous collection Ando.

2011

Christie’s sold Carlo Scarpa’s black and red vase Laccati from 1940 at auction for €241,000.

Launch of the ten-year long project of VENINI exhibitions at Le Stanze Del Vetro in Isola di San Giorgio Maggiore.

2014

Bulgari presented “Opera Unica” in Abu Dhabi: the bottle was created by the master glassmakers in VENINI’s furnace.

2016

The Damiani family announced the acquisition of the majority of shares in VENINI S.p.A.

The new lighting of the famous Adlon Kepinski Hotel in Berlin was signed by VENINI.

2019

The collaboration with Marc Thorpe began. He designed the collection “Unity”, which was presented in the gallery “Les Ateliers Courbert” in New York.

A heartfelt goodbye to Alessandro Mendini, soul of VENINI since 1988.

To mark the moment, Milan asked for permission to use Angelo Guerriero‘s image for that year’s poster of the Salone del Mobile. During the fair, VENINI presented the new collection of table lamps designed by Hani Rashid and Emmanuel Babled’s Paladini.

In May, Michela Cattai presented Acqua and Contrasto in the Tokyo showroom. In addition to the exhibition for Tapio Wirkkala held at the Glass Museum in Murano, Bellini’s pieces were exhibited in Moscow.

Carlo Cracco chose VENINI for his new bistrot in Milan. In addition, VENINI delivered several other important custom-made projects.

The Venice Glass Week in September included the exhibition “Collettiva Venini” featuring works by authors Emmanuele Babled, Giorgio Vigna, Michela Cattai, Dan Dailey, and Benjamin Moore.

During the same month, Stanze del Vetro on the island of San Giorgio, Venice, dedicated an exhibition to the American artist Thomas Stearns, who worked at the Venini glassworks in the early ‘60s. The exhibition included the famous artwork “La Sentinella di Venezia”.