Botteganove – Barene

Giorgia Zanellato and Daniele Bortotto designed a collection of ceramic surfaces inspired by the Venice lagoon and its peculiar landscape, made of intricate channels, tortuous streams and partially submerged vegetation.

Federico Fellini described it as “a strange tapestry […] an immense, marvellous Persian carpet.” A landscape where the borders between sea and land are ambiguous, because water and strips of land mix and merge continuously into one another: barene is the Italian word to describe those marshlands “that emerge from the lagoon during periods of low tide.”

Engaged in the exploration of the relationship between places and time, and drawing inspiration from Venice and its local craftsmanship, Zanellato/Bortotto’s designs reinterpret the repertoire of shapes and colors found in the barene in this collection, employing precious ceramics and enamels that evoke their translucency and nuances.

The use of precious ceramics and enamels allows them to create surfaces that recall the transparencies and tonal variations characteristic of the barene. These materials offer a variety of textures and reflections that can evoke the appearance of water, contributing to conveying the atmosphere and aesthetics of Venice.