Glass Show In Venice
By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO
Published: Sunday, September 8, 1996

From:http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/08/travel/glass-show-in-venice.html?sec=travel

(This event has already happened)

Venice will play host to ''Open Glass,'' the city's first international exhibition of contemporary glass art, from Sept. 12 to Nov. 10. The exhibition will feature the work of more than 100 contemporary glass artists from around the world, including Dale Chihuly from the United States, Stanislav Libensky from the Czech Republic, Bert Frijns from the Netherlands and Antoine Leperlier from France.

Venice has been known for centuries for its tradition of glass blowing, and it is to celebrate this art, passed on from generation to generation of master glass artists, that the municipal government conceived of the event to highlight the work of contemporary artists. The exhibition will become a biannual event alternating with the Biennale of Contemporary Art. An international jury will choose the best four pieces.

Most of the works, ranging from vases and small sculptures to large installations, will be displayed at the Ducal Palace, the Correr Museum and the Vetrario Museum on the island of Murano. Viewers will also be able to admire a number of installations by taking a boat up the Grand Canal.

Among the exhibits will be ''Chihuly Over Venice,'' Dale Chihuly's installation of a series of 15-foot high ''chandeliers'' that will be hung within palaces, courtyards and gardens visible from the Grand Canal. The Seattle-based Chihuly has spent over $1 million on the Venice project, involving over 300 people, including teams of glass blowers from three countries.

The Ducal Palace, Correr Museum and Vetrario Museum are open daily from 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. Tickets cost $9.30 and can be bought until one hour before closing. One ticket will allow admission to all three venues. Most of Mr. Chihuly's works will be visible only from outside the palaces where they will be installed, but some, like the one in the garden of the Guggenheim museum, can be viewed up close from inside. Information: (041) 2707717. ELISABETTA POVOLEDO

Photo: Dale Chihuly and one of the chandeliers of ''Chihuly Over Venice.'' (Russell Johnson)