Being born in Murano marked the life of a young man and the destiny of Simone Cenedese to become a master of Murano glass. His words flow clear as he tells us about his love for the Murano glass.
He was only 7 years old when he went to play in the furnace room with the night watchman, 15 when he started working as an apprentice, and today he is one of the younger masters of Murano glass. From his first glass sculptures, Simon still has very strong emotion to work this material in this special place just steps from the center of Venice.
Simone, what do you feel when thinking about your work?
The everyday magic of being "Hic et Nunc" (here and now). Belonging to the tradition of Murano, and then Venice, makes me happy every day. Breathing in the beauty and history knowing that today we are integral part makes me proud and also responsible for how to continue to build and pass on this beauty.
And Murano changed since you were little? What is your vision?
Murano has been for centuries a center of industrial glass. Here, after the war, were realized many consumer products such as light bulbs, reflectors or vials for medicines. Slowly these industries have moved on shore and Murano has assumed more and more an artistic flavor.
I can say that we have grown through "breathing" industrial culture and learning many techniques which then allowed us to unleash the creativity and experience of original artistic languages. Today we sought more for our art and the furnaces are also increasingly becoming "cultural centers."
What is your vision of the role of Murano glass?
Murano has evolved naturally and progressively towards artistic more than industrial glass and we must accompany this passage describing it to people who want to surround themselves with fine glassware. We cannot compete on price, so we must learn to value our traditions using new languages.
The new tourists who come to Venice, especially those from Asia and the Far East, do not know the details of our history and we must establish a kind of relationship that takes into account their characteristics and interests. Simple language and media to convey the importance and meaning of what we do.
We are an important part in the history of mankind, and we are everyone's heritage. If we know how to do this, then Murano glass will live forever.
Follow us