Ode to Rothko
THE VENICE GLASS WEEK, 2024
blue and red homage to rothko, 2024
superposition of two fused and hand-
painted glass plates
HOMAGE TO ROTHKO, 2024
During the Eighth Venice Glass Week, Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga unveils “Homage to Rothko”, a new series of Murano glass sculptures inspired by the American master Mark Rothko (1903–1970).
Created in three color variations, these works pay tribute to Rothko’s iconic color fields and his profound dialogue between light and emotion.
Each sculpture is produced using a refined glass overlay technique: two fused glass panels are layered with large color fields, fixed with varnish to achieve luminous transitions reminiscent of Rothko’s paintings.
The transparency and depth of Venetian glass bring his abstract language into a new material dimension.
With Homage to Rothko, I was interested in investigating the effect of painting on glass, which, unlike canvas, does not fix the color in defined contours but allows light to pass through it, creating a sort of color perspectives in constant motion: the color vibrates with the vibration of light
giberto arrivabene valenti gonzaga
blue and red homage to rothko, 2024
superposition of two fused and hand-painted glass plates
After his creations dedicated to Manzoni, Fontana, and Burri, Giberto Venezia continues his exploration of twentieth-century art through glass — a living, ever-changing medium shaped by light.
The artist’s inspiration also reflects the spirit of the 60th Venice Biennale – “Foreigners Everywhere”, connecting Rothko’s Latvian origins and American journey to the universality of color and space.
Now exhibited at Giberto’s Rialto Bridge gallery, “Homage to Rothko” embodies the meeting of Murano tradition and contemporary artistic vision, reaffirming Venice’s role in global glass art.