Glasstress: The Flowing Carnival of Venice is now on display at the Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum, offering a visual journey through contemporary glass art.

Glass has long been intertwined with the development of human civilization. Its unique material properties, shaped by the stress generated during production, have made it a powerful medium for aesthetic, symbolic, and conceptual expression.

Initiated by Berengo Studio in 2009 as one of the collateral events of the Venice Biennale,

Glasstress has grown into a leading international platform where glass meets contemporary art. The studio carries forward the glassmaking tradition of Venice's Murano Island and a model of cross-disciplinary collaboration that has developed since the mid-20th century.

Over the years, the project has invited artists from around the world to work in Murano's glass furnaces. It has traveled to New York, London, Stockholm, and St. Petersburg. This marks its debut in Shanghai.

The Shanghai exhibition brings together artists from 19 countries, creating works using glass as a core medium. Among the highlights is a 2.25-meter installation by abstract artist Sean Scully, built from layered Murano glass to create a romantic color palette.

Structured around a distinctive narrative, the exhibition unfolds in four chapters: The Rules of the Game, Role-Play, The Costumed Parade, and Unmasking. By weaving the transformative nature of glass art with the imagery of masks, costumes, and parades from carnival traditions, the exhibition metaphorically addresses deeper themes, such as individual identity and cultural fusion.

If you go

When: July 18 to Oct 18

Where: Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum, 2nd Floor, No 1 East Zhongshan Road Number One, Huangpu district

Ticket price: 78 yuan ($11.56) for a single entry

Source: Shanghai Jiushi Art Museum