Italian artist Fabrizio Plessi is internationally recognized for his pioneering video art and experimental, conceptually rooted approach to natural materials. Chief among these is water, which he has engaged with seriously since the late 1960s. Using the elemental and metaphoric aspects of water, his practice taps into ideas around time, memory, life, and the supreme power of nature. Now, a new body of work and exhibition reflects the artist’s latest water-inspired project and a bold vision brought to life through the time-honored tradition of Murano glassmaking.

Fabrizio Plessi. Courtesy of Galleria Barovier and Toso.

Presented at the recently rebranded Galleria Barovier and Toso, formerly Barovier and Toso Arte, based in Venice, “Fabrizio Plessi: Drowning in a Glass of Water” features a monumental installation of rings placed in dialogue with the gallery’s own four historic and opulent chandeliers. The juxtaposition of heritage craftsmanship and contemporary sculptures, which portray moving images of water complemented by an audio element featuring water sounds, evokes considerations around the passing of time and the evolution of creative expression. It also points to the creative collaboration between Plessi, Barovier and Toso, and the Murano glassmaking company, which has a history dating back to 1295. Together, it is an homage to the history and present of Venetian ingenuity.

Installation view of “Fabrizio Plessi: Drowning in a Glass of Water” (2026). Courtesy of Galleria Barovier and Toso.

Beyond the large-scale installation of rings, an adjacent space showcases a range of glass sculptural forms based on the foundational forms of glass that have been used and recognized for several millennia. Carafes, tumblers, bottles, Plessi’s glass sculptures are informed by those that have traditionally been made to contain water since antiquity—and they appear equally functional, but only at first glance. Upon closer inspection, the pieces reveal themselves to be largely solid with space to hold only a small amount of liquid. Heavy and cumbersome compared to their functional counterparts, the distorted blue hues and wavelike protrusions in effect act as a type of trompe l’oeil, conveying the sense of contained water but instead acting as a tribute to the creative process and material composition.

Courtesy of Galleria Barovier and Toso.

At the heart of the exhibition is a display dedicated to a perfume bottle, Movimenti dell’anima (Movements of the Soul) (2025), which underscores the conceptual and thematic underpinnings of both Plessi’s practice and the show. Echoing the geometry of the first gallery space’s rings as well as the rippling surfaces of his glass container-like forms, it operates as an unassuming gravitational center for the show, and along with the wealth of other works, offers a glimpse into the creative collaboration between gallery, artist, and historic Murano craftsmanship.

“Fabrizio Plessi: Drowning in a Glass of Water” is on view at Galleria Barovier & Toso, Venice, through June 21, 2026.