Micheluzzi Glass

Petra: In today’s world where most seem glued to computers and phone screens, there seems to be little space for real adventure. How important is it to you to have an active, fun, playtime and to experience life fully?

Salma: Nowadays life is very stressful. I believe that we all have experienced deception, depression, trauma, etc., at least once in our life. It is very important to find your own activities to be able to release your stress and forget your problems. In my case, motorbike and especially horse riding are the only times when my brain is completely off; it gives my brain a break to stop thinking about my own stress and problems. I believe that it could be very harmful if we keep building all the stress and depression inside us.

Salma: Freedom to me means being able to think, wear, do, believe whatever we want, and not being judge or influenced by family or society.

Everyone has their own definition of freedom which is fine, and people need to respect everyone’s freedom. My freedom is to be able to dress the way I want; to do what I want; and to believe in my own religion. Also, to think the way I want - basically be the master of my own soul and body…

Visit: https://www.instagram.com/lacavalierelegante/ Images: © Salma Tahri

DAY 14

I’m excited to bring you a yarn all the way from beautiful Italy. It’s the story of two sisters Elena and Margherita Micheluzzi (E & M), their glass designs and creatitions, and a wonderful family tradition. The Micheluzzi Glass handmade glass collection is a breath of fresh air as it delightes and surprises at the same time. What is it about Italians doing things exceptionally well and with flair? You might feel like packing your bags and heading to glorious Italy after reading this.

Petra: Where are you based?

E & M: We are based in Venice, our native city. We both lived abroad for years but Venice has always been home. So both of us have returned to Venice and our bond with this very special place is now stronger than ever. We had to go away to want to come back, or was it just fate!

Petra: I love the fact that you are sisters, so when did you found Micheluzzi Glass?

E & M: We always got along as sisters and did many things together, but we didn’t expect to be working together! We founded Micheluzzi Glass in 2019.

It all started with our father, Venetian glass artist Massimo Micheluzzi. We discovered the magic of glass following his footsteps. We got to know his work since we were little. At home we were surrounded by many glass objects that were made, collected, or picked out by him. To this day, his workshop on the ground floor of the building where we live, is a hang-out spot for the entire family. In Italian we say, “casa e bottega” (literally: entirely dedicated to both home and work).

So, perhaps it was only natural that, over time, a certain appreciation for this incredible material bloomed within us, and we grew curious to learn more about the techniques and processes. We started joining our father when he worked in the furnace, observing his work up close, and, little by little, we became eager to experiment and to create something of our own.

It was then that we had the first ideas, which eventually led to the creation of the Micheluzzi Glass Collection. Immediately we were hooked and, without hesitation, began embarking on many projects. As it all started in a very natural and organic way, maybe it was meant to be!

Actually, it was actually December 2018, when we were both living in London, when our parents came to visit us for the Christmas holidays. For the first time we had a ‘serious’ conversation with our father about glass. We had some ideas for him for a line of glassware, so he he invited us to the furnace the next time we were in Venice to design and produce the glassware ourselves. We liked the idea and that was the precise moment in which Micheluzzi Glass was born. It was at the end of January 2019 when we visited the furnace in Murano for our own glassware collection.

After the very first months of experimenting with glass and our ideas, we had already completely fallen in love with this unique craft. For a while, we tried managing the production intermittently by flying in and out of London on any occasion. However, soon enough we realized that we had to work on this project full time if we wanted to make progress. It was decision time, so we resigned from our jobs in London and moved back to Venice, where we officially started Micheluzzi Glass.

Petra: What is your family history?

E & M: As we mentioned above, our father is a glass artist and we have admired his work always. Although growing up, we were fascinated by his craft and talent, however we didn’t think we could follow in his footsteps. We viewed his work as unique and associated it exclusively with him. Therefore, first we followed our own paths. In fact, before the birth of Micheluzzi Glass, again as mentioned above, we were both living in London, Elena working in an art gallery, and Margherita in the online fashion and homeware industry. While London, art and fashion were key experiences for us, it’s along this very pathway that we felt a sense of belonging and the urge to go back to Venice and to our roots. It is precisely this sense of belonging that gave us the push to start Micheluzzi Glass.

Petra: What inspired you to create your own brand?

E & M: When we approached the idea of working in glass we had the chance and the luck of working under the wing and with guidance of our father. But we wanted to have something of our own, to reflect our identity. Our work is definitely an extension of his in a way, like we are an extension of him.

Petra: What is your relationship with Venice and how important is it in your work?

E & M: We couldn’t do what we do somewhere else. Not only do we have the luck of living in this special corner of the world, we are able to work in Murano, the unmatched homeland and excellence of glass, and to get in contact with this out-of-time reality, that has been passing on the secrets and the skills of glass-making for centuries. It is truly an extraordinary experience.

Venice also offers us the possibility to give our work an unmatched platform thanks to its international public. It is in fact the rooting of traditions in the territory and, at the same time, its ability to put us out to the world that makes Venice a unique place.

Petra: Are creative traditions still important in Italy?

E & M: Italy is the country of craftmanship, skills and creative traditions that have been preserved and transmitted until now for centuries. We have an immense heritage and we have to try to keep preserving it, while including innovation and keeping up with the times. This is the challenge that we need to face so as not to lose these incredible traditions.

Petra: Can you share the story of Murano Glass and how you are bringing the contemporary twist?

E & M: The craft of glassmaking in Murano has very ancient roots and our work is closely tied to the tradition in terms of process and techniques which have substantially remained unchanged for centuries until today. However, over time, glassmakers have developed and refined many types of glass techniques and styles, and still nowadays, even if relying on these ancient techniques, it’s still possible to produce new and innovative designs.

In our production we use these traditional Murano techniques and translate them into our personal taste and vision, reflecting an aesthetic, as well as, a style in presentation and communication that are very contemporary. This distinguishes our glass work from the past and the more traditional Muranese taste, although the production remains closely linked to history and the Venetian heritage. We believe we can carry on this tradition with a fresh and different approach.

Despite our modern twist, our approach to the work and our creative process remain faithful to the traditional techniques and the secular heritage of Murano. Each piece of our collection is produced thanks to the ancient craftsmanship and the techniques preserved by the Maestri Vetrai of Murano. The millenary tradition of glassmaking and the experience and skills of Murano glass masters are precious treasures that must be preserved and passed down to younger generations. This is why we think it is important that this craft be communicated in a language to which young people can relate; one that is capable of energising and engaging them. The biggest challenge for us is to carry on this tradition and pass on the heritage – keeping it alive and injecting it with energy and new ideas without ever losing sight of its origins and core values. We hope that more and more young people will rediscover the value of craftsmanship, whether by undertaking this craft, exploring new ways of collaborating, or opening up to new channels and tools to communicate and promote it.

Petra: Where do you find inspiration?

E & M: Undoubtedly, we are inspired by the beauty and the atmosphere of the places in which we lived and were raised. For us, Venice is not just the unmatchable, unique place that it is for anyone, it’s home and when a place is as special as Venice, the bond is particularly strong. Then, besides the beauty of the city, there are many natural aspects as well, such as the colours of the lagoon, the watery surroundings, the slow water flow of the canals, and the reflections of light on the water. These are the sensorial experiences that create a magical atmosphere that is hard to leave behind. This environment, which is so familiar to us, spontaneously emerged in our imagination and since then, keeps inspiring our work. Also, this is why we set all photos in the context of Venice. Looking at our vases again and the canal across the fondamenta where our shop is located, we wanted also to convey this atmosphere through our images to show the connections between our work and the ambience from where they come.

Petra: What are the styles of your glass and how important is everyday functionality to you?

E & M: We spent our lives surrounded by Murano glass in our family home, so it is this very familiarity with glass that shaped the way in which we see it, use it and live it. In fact, all Micheluzzi Glass can be usable objects. Even if precious and decorative just on their own, they are conceived to be vessels, or holders of some type, if one wants. For instance, small vases can be used as lanterns with candles inside, or pen holders, or a pocket emptier, or to serve nibbles, or as centre pieces on the table. Obviously, the larger ones would be suitable for flowers. So, we shall say that our pieces can be seen as both sculptural and functional furnishing elements.

Petra: Are your workshops located in Venice?

E & M: The area where our shop and studio are located is Dorsoduro, precisely at Ponte delle Maravegie. The shop has been a family business through generations - once our grandfather’s antique shop; then our father’s studio and gallery; now also the home to our new glass collection. Our family home is just above the shop, so everyone in the Micheluzzi family gravitates around the shop, it’s really a family business.

Dorsoduro is quite a busy area but still very authentic. It’s one of the districts (sestieri) where there are still quite a lot of residents, schools and local businesses. Also, there are museums and nice hotels and restaurants in this area, so there is also a good quality tourism. Our production on the other hand is in Murano at the furnace.

Petra: What does the creative process look like from beginning to the end, and what are the various techniques?

E & M: The main part of the production happens in Murano in the furnace where the glass is shaped and blown at the ‘incandescent’ state as the Maestro shapes the glass piece by mouth blowing it in the furnace.

What is essential to know is that it’s typical of the Murano tradition that the Maestro, not the artist, who is the leading figure in the glassblowing process. The Maestro is the one who physically executes the work, together with his team, usually two people, who assist him in all the different phases of the process. The work is very physical and complex and the heat has very precise timings. The artist, on the other hand, is the designer who brings the project to the Maestro to evaluate its feasibility and give his technical advice. The final result is a collaboration between the two.

In the blowing phase, the temperature is very high and it’s important to know how to move in order not to get burned. Also, many of our objects are cold carved, meaning engraved. This is another fundamental phase of our work that requires precision, a steady hand and a lot of patience.

The glass creation process has various phases that require time and even waiting time, for example, we need to wait at least a day after blowing to let the glass slowly cool. Additionally, however small, our objects require the collaboration of at least 3 people in the blowing phase. The assistant prepares the pipe with glass; the Maestro blows and shapes the glass into the pipe; while another assistant manoeuvres the wooden moulds into which the glass is blown to take its shape. Other times the shaping is made free-hand (without the use of moulds) and still the presence of at least two people is required. This is the hot phase.

In the following phase another specialized craftsman takes care of the grinding, the cold work, which in our case is another essential part of the production. This part too has various phases, first the engraving that digs into the surface of the glass, creating carvings with different motifs. Then there are various polishing steps. The carving and the polishing are done with different types of wheels that turning at a high-speed, dig into and smooth the glass without breaking it. It is important to know that this phase requires the presence of water, hence called cold work, as the glass needs to be watered constantly in order to cool it down from the heat produced by the rubbing of the wheels on the surface.

All these phases are essential to the process. We supervise the phases by giving indications to our collaborators, but we follow their advice and observations as they are the ones with great technical experience. The final object is the result of this collaboration, between our vision and the great knowledge and technical skills of those who know how to ‘make it happen’. By watching them, we are slowly discovering the ‘secrets’ of this craft and how to apply them to our design. For us this creation process gives life to continuous innovation which allows us to carry on our project.

For us, the creative process always starts from a defined project, the idea of a shape or a particular effect that one wants to reproduce. These can sometimes be adjusted throughout the crafting process, leaving room for improvisations, tests, and experiments, which can result also from a constant exchange between the Maestro and his artisans in the furnace. The final result always has an element of surprise, which makes every single piece unique. This is part of the magic of glass.

Petra: How would you describe the famous Venetian Lagoon atmosphere?

E & M: Just magical - the sunsets, the lights, the reflections you can see - it’s just magical. Even for us, every time, although you can get tired of it. Sometimes we look at it and it’s just a postcard.

Petra: What’s the best thing living in Venice?

E & M: Living an ordinary life in an extraordinary place, and being able to see and do extraordinary things. Also, there is the slow pace and walking everywhere. The fact that it is a small town provides the advantages of scale, but it’s also an international destination, and an artistic and cultural hub. However, you wake up everyday to it’s beauty.

Petra: What is the wildly romantic thing to do in Venice?

E & M: The most romantic and authentic experience in Venice is to experience the city from the water, so by boat. It not only gives a different perspective of the city, but also a sort of privacy. Therefore the gondola ride around the canals, even if one could consider it the most typical touristic thing, to us is always something special. Then there is a boat trip around the lagoon up to the more remote islands of Torcello, Burano and Mazzorbo.