In this video, Tony Cragg takes us through his Venice exhibition Ocean of Drops and reflects on the new sculptures, his long-standing fascination with material and form, and life at his studio and sculpture park in Wuppertal, Germany. Venice (Italy), May 5, 2026.
On the occasion of the 61st Venice Biennale, Fondazione Berengo and Berengo Studio present Tony Cragg | Ocean of Drops, a solo exhibition by the influential British-German sculptor Tony Cragg (b. 1949) at Ca’ Tron from May 5 to June 28, 2026. The exhibition revolves around a monumental glass sculpture created in Murano, which gives the show its title. This central work, together with recent large-scale sculptures in wood and stone, forms a “field of tension between matter and perception.” Cragg’s pieces explore the internal structures of materials — evoking atoms, molecules, and particles — revealing what is normally invisible and probing the relationship between micro and macro, interior and exterior, structure and surface. Rather than representing reality, the works investigate continuous transformation and challenge how we perceive the world. Tony Cragg, a Turner Prize winner (1988) who represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, is renowned for his experimental approach to materials and ongoing inquiry into form and matter. He lives and works in Wuppertal and Berlin. Fondazione Berengo and Berengo Studio, pioneers in collaborating with contemporary artists in glass since 1989, continue their long-standing commitment to expanding glass as a contemporary medium through this focused presentation of Cragg’s latest developments.
Press text (excerpt):
On the occasion of the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, Fondazione Berengo and Berengo Studio present Ocean of Drops, a solo exhibition by Tony Cragg (Liverpool, 1949), one of the most influential voices in contemporary sculpture, on view at Ca’ Tron from May 5 to June 28, 2026.
Conceived around a monumental glass sculpture produced in Murano—which lends the exhibition its title—the project brings together a selection of recent large-scale works, offering a focused insight into the latest developments in Cragg’s practice.
Ocean of Drops unfolds as a field of tension between matter and perception. The central glass sculpture, both visual and conceptual fulcrum of the exhibition, evokes the intrinsic nature of materials, prompting a reflection on their internal structure and on the processes that determine form and appearance. Rather than representing, the work discover new forms that reflects on the continuous transformation of mattter, while resisting fixed definition.
Alongside this central presence, the exhibition includes sculptures in wood and stone through which Cragg investigates the physical and dynamic properties of matter. These forms evoke fundamental structures—atoms, molecules, cells, particles—rendering visible what normally remains unseen, and probing the relationship between micro and macro, structure and surface.
The project as a whole is rooted in a broader inquiry into the relationship between the interior and exterior of matter. Cragg’s sculptures challenge the mechanisms through which we perceive the world, highlighting the limits of sensory experience and the decisive role of cognitive structures in shaping our understanding of reality. In this sense, Ocean of Drops operates as a critical device: an invitation to question not only what we see, but how we see.
Active since the early 1970s, Tony Cragg has exhibited in museums and institutions worldwide, establishing himself as a central figure in contemporary sculpture. The Venice exhibition offers a significant opportunity to engage with a practice that continues to redefine the relationship between form, material, and knowledge.
Tony Cragg (Liverpool, 1949) is a British-German sculptor and one of the most influential contemporary artists. After studying at the Royal College of Art in London, he gained international recognition in the 1970s. His practice is distinguished by an experimental approach to materials and a sustained investigation into the processes that govern matter and form. Over the course of his career, he has received numerous awards, including Premium Imperiale and the Turner Prize in 1988, and represented Great Britain at the Venice Biennale. He lives and works in Wuppertal and Berlin.
Founded on Adriano Berengo’s pioneering vision, Fondazione Berengo has established itself as a key institutional voice in bringing glass into the discourse of contemporary art. Originating from Berengo’s Murano studio in 1989, the foundation provides a platform that revitalizes the centuries-old traditions of Venetian glass while fostering a dynamic international community of contemporary artists through innovative collaborations and partnerships.
Based at Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti in the heart of Venice, the foundation launched the acclaimed exhibition Glasstress in 2009 as a collateral event of the Venice Biennale, presented in the historic palace for five consecutive editions. Following its success, Glasstress evolved into a traveling exhibition shown in cities including Riga, Stockholm, New York, Beirut, and London, and in 2015 was presented in collaboration with the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
In 2016, the foundation initiated collaborations with major international institutions and artists for exhibitions including Tony Cragg, Sculptures and Drawings (St. Petersburg), Glassfever (Dordrecht), Zaha Hadid (Venice), and Robert Wilson in Glass (Venice). In 2018, it partnered with the artist duo Penzo+Fiore to present the exhibition series Radical at Palazzo Franchetti, aimed at supporting emerging contemporary artists.
As a second venue for Glasstress and a future permanent collection, the foundation opened an exhibition space in a former glass furnace in Murano, which in 2019 hosted the celebratory edition marking the project’s tenth anniversary.
Today, Fondazione Berengo continues to play a vital role in the Venetian contemporary art scene, fostering a vibrant artistic community dedicated to expanding the possibilities of glass as a medium, while also supporting artistic practices across other disciplines inspired by its creative potential.
Berengo Studio is one of the world’s leading creative glass furnaces. Founded in 1989 by Adriano Berengo the Studio specialises in collaborations with contemporary artists to produce works of art in glass. Inspired by Egidio Costantini’s Fucina degli Angeli (Furnace of Angels) which allowed artists such as Picasso, Chagall, and Cocteau to produce art in glass during the 1960s, Berengo decided to further this vision of creative collaboration and bring its vital energy into the world of the 21st century. He recognised the potential for glass as a medium for art, but also noticed how difficult it was for contemporary artists to access the world of such a complex medium. With Berengo Studio he opened the furnace doors, providing a space where artists are able to think in glass. Today sculptures made at Berengo Studio can be found in museums, galleries, and private collections around the world and the Studio has worked with over 400 artists, including Turner prize-winners Tony Cragg and Laure Prouvost, and internationally acclaimed figures such as Thomas Schütte and Ai Weiwei.
