Martin Janecký. Dreamers / Bertil Vallien. Transparent Boundaries

On the occasion of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Fondazione Berengo and Berengo Studio present two major solo exhibitions by Swedish artist Bertil Vallien (Stockholm, 1938) and Czech artist Martin Janecký (Liberec, 1980), curated by Jean Blanchaert, on view at Palazzo Franchetti from May 5 to November 22, 2026.

Widely recognized as leading figures in contemporary glass art, Vallien and Janecký engage in a compelling dialogue across generations, techniques, and artistic visions. Transparent Boundaries and Dreamers bring their practices into close proximity, offering an intense encounter between distinct yet complementary approaches to the medium.

Bertil Vallien presents his iconic cast-glass boats, created using sand-casting techniques. Renowned for their evocative and symbolic power, these works are imbued with layered imagery and narrative, functioning as universal metaphors for journey, memory, and the human condition. As Vallien himself notes, his vessels "travel through dreams and memories", moving toward imagined horizons and embodying shared archetypes suspended between life and death, myth and reality.

In contrast, Martin Janecký's sculptures articulate a deeply contemporary sensibility, grounded in exceptional technical mastery. Known for his use of inside sculpting — a complex and highly controlled process that involves shaping molten glass from within — Janecký creates strikingly realistic human figures: faces, hands, and bodies that seem to emerge from the material itself. Suspended between fragility and precision, his works explore the inner life and psychological dimension of the human condition.

"The silent but loud glass - declares Jean Blanchaert, the curator of the exhibiition - dialogue between two great artists", quoting their thoughts: I am just doing my work and I still have a lot to learn. I keep trying to do things I don't know to do"- Martin Janecký; "In this country you use glass so disrespectfully... and that is also why one can make everything with it" - Bertil Vallien.

Within the historic spaces of Palazzo Franchetti, the two exhibitions unfold as a dialogue of opposites—mysticism and rigor, opacity and transparency, symbolic narrative and formal investigation. The result is an experience that highlights the extraordinary expressive possibilities of glass in contemporary art, offering a rare opportunity to encounter two international masters within a single exhibition context.