What to read after Murano?

The glass making world of Murano is currently experiencing an ongoing review between the old and the new, between loyalty of traditional values and an eagerness to innovate. The interest of this debate is that it is among the classic glassmakers, who work in an atmosphere similar to that of a medieval workshop, and contemporary artists who live entirely in a modern day society. The collaboration of the two has contributed to making Murano an extraordinary place that is well worth visiting, investigating and photographing. Norbert Heyl was born in Goch, in Germany. In 1996 he took up photography and graphic design as a full-time occupation and opened an advertising photographic studio in Düsseldorf, followed by another in Murano (Venice) in the following year. In 2005 he became a partner in the ¿Colibri Marketing¿ agency. Rosa Barovier Mentasti is a descendant of one of the oldest glassmaking families of Murano and has devoted her life to the history of glass ever since her time at university in Padua, leading to an arts degree with a thesis on Roman glass. Very soon, Venetian glass became the main subject of her historical research and of her publications. She studied the subject initially under the guidance of Luigi Zecchin, the most eminent scholar of the 20th century in this field. She has written important books on the history of Venetian glass, including ll Vetro Veneziano (Milan 1982) and Vetro Veneziano 1890-1990 (Venice,1992) as well as innumerable articles and catalogues for exhibitions. She holds courses on the history of glass and conferences in Italy and abroad and is a recognized international expert. SELLING POINTS: The complete history of the island of Murano in relation to the glass factories and their development Illustrates not only traditional glass making, but also new design, with works by Venini, Ohira and Scarpa 162 colour illustrations