nouvel's invisible. glass design exhibition traces the history of glass in mexico at franz mayer museum

invisible. glass design, an exhibition that traces the history of glass in mexico over the last few decades, is currently on view at the franz mayer museum in mexico city. curated by industrial designer emiliano godoy, the exhibition gathers over 500 diverse items – from everyday objects to artistic pieces – from the collections of glass companies nouvel, grupo pavisa, and vissio. the wide range of shapes and functions on show offers visitors a close look into the material, technical and formal possibilities of glass, while presenting a dialogue between historical pieces and contemporary objects.

the first room showcases the variety of forms, uses and designers of mexican glass industry through over 500 different pieces

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items from the nouvel, grupo pavisa, and vissio collections, ranging from everyday objects to artistic pieces from their collaboration with designers, artists, and architects, such as jan hendrix, perla valtierra, edgar orlaineta, brian thoreen, and frida escobedo, compose the exhibition’s four thematic sections at the franz mayer museum. titled diversity and excellence, the first part of invisible. glass design acts as an introductory room that brings together a wide range of items tracing the possibilities and solutions produced throughout grupo pavisa’s almost seven decades of experience, and nouvel’s own 25-year history. everyday life objects, such as vases, perfume bottles, tableware and tequila bottles to glasses, shot glasses or ashtrays, are arranged in a way that highlights both their rational functionality, as well as their aesthetic characteristics.invisible features vases, bottles, bowls, glasses, decanters… a wide range of objects as a glance to the most of 70 years of grupo pavisa

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in the second part of the exhibition, titled innovation and technology, visitors have the chance to interact with glassmaking tools in order to get acquainted with different production processes, as well as with the elements that precede the objects, such as samples, sketches, and casts. the third section, form and beauty, presents the formal and expressive limits of glass with new pieces conceived by jan hendrix, perla valtierra, edgar orlaineta, jorge yazpik, mauricio lara and frida escobedo, as well as the latest collaboration between héctor esrawe, emiliano godoy and brian thoreen for vissio.crystalline transparency that flashes through a light performance

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finally, the last part of invisible. glass design focuses on the pepita engraving technique, which began in the netherlands in the 15th century, but has evolved in the hands of mexican artisans since it was brought to mexico in 1524. this last part forms a dialogue between the contemporary production of glass using the pepita technique and the collection that franz mayer built up throughout his life. from this collection of 259 historical pieces of glass, the exhibition features a selection of those where it is possible to recognize the pepita technique and its evolution throughout the traditions of europe, new spain and finally mexico, with one of the producers that keep this tradition alive: tequila producer casa dragones, who has created a commemorative piece as part of the invisible. glass design exhibition.aged tequila gran patrón burdeos cap

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piece from the installation bajo la mira (2017) created by the architect andrés mier y terán along with grupo pavisa, nouvel and grupo MYT

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color collection of samples

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the origins: from color bars and mineral powders, glass comes true

image © designboom duna color tests, designed by monica guggisberg (switzerland) and philip baldwin (USA) for nouvel

image © designboom ficus prototypes, designed by jan hendrix in 2016 for nouvel

image © designboom burnout blown glass in copper ruby dark, designed by héctor esrawe, emiliano godoy and brian thoreen with nouvel for vissio

image © designboom
cork + glass, katsina omaw and katsina nata’aska by artist edgar orlaineta (nouvel, 2017)

image © designboom glass modules forming a monumental wall that recalls the serpentine pavilion (frida escobedo for nouvel, 2019)

image © designboom divider by jan hendrix; new commissioned piece

image © designboom katsinas by edgar orlaineta – new edition, revealed at invisible

image © designboom new lit piece for vissio by héctor esrawe, emiliano godoy and brian thoreen

image © designboom 25 nouvel’s experience years at one time in black nuance

image © designboom columna bloques by mauricio lara (2019)

image © designboom

casa dragones tequila bottle with pepita glass engraving technique

image © designboom

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exhibition info:

name: invisible. glass design

location: franz mayer museum, av. hidalgo 45, historical center, mexico city, mexico

duration: 10 october, 2019 – 12 january, 2020

curator: emiliano godoy

participating glass manufacturers: nouvel, grupo pavisa and vissio

lecture series: thursday, october 10, craft vernacular in contemporary design with bertha gonzález nieves, edgar orlaineta, and steven learner, moderated by designboom’s editor-in-chief, birgit lohmann
(12:00 pm. guided tour of the exhibitions, 1:00 pm. museum auditorium, talk will be in english)

saturday, november 9, architecture and design 1:00 pm. museum auditorium

saturday, november 23,  design and manufacturing 1:00 pm. museum auditorium

special activity: museum night invisible, wednesday, november 27. 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

family workshops: sundays throughout november, 12:00 pm, museum cloister, cost: $50 pesos per person