The newly opening exhibition at the Murano Glass Museum in Venice presents the work of one of Finland's most prominent designers, Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985). The exhibition features primarily glass works designed by Wirkkala, including his best-known works created from other materials.
Tapio Wirkkala is the embodiment of modern Finnish design. He is still one of the internationally best-known Finnish designers. Glass became a central material for him during his versatile and productive career. Objects designed by Wirkkala as well as his artistic works are included in many leading museum collections around the world.
Wirkkala, who had started his career as a sculptor, took part in a competition organized by the glass manufacturer Iittala in 1946 which started their collaboration ranging over four decades. His long-lasting collaboration with the Venini glassworks in Murano began in the mid-1960s.
Wirkkala discovered the different possibilities offered by a colored glass mass that could combine incalmo, half filigree, and murrine. For example, incalmo technique is applied in Wirkkala's Bolle bottles and Piatto di Tapio plates.
The exhibition's curators, designer Harri Koskinen and architect Marco Romanelli, create a dialogue between Italian and Finnish viewpoints and the tradition of glass design through Wirkkala's works.
Photo: Matti Silvennoinen
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