Loris Gréaud: The Unplayed Notes Factory

An exhibition of Loris Gréaud, curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, a special project of GLASSTRESS 2017

In 1291, the Venetian Senate forced Venice’s glass blowers to settle on Murano island in order to protect the secrecy of glass-making processes. Each glass furnace on Murano has jealously guarded its trade secrets ever since.

The same applied to the Campiello della Pescheria glass furnace. Despite being shut down for the last 60 years, a strange atmosphere still prevails in this building which seems haunted by the memory of those who once occupied the place.

Loris Gréaud, under the curation of Nicolas Bourriaud, brings the factory back to life for the seven months duration of the 57th Venice Biennale. On this occasion, the former glass furnace will be secretly revived and will play host to a whole new trade: an unofficial production line which is thought to conceal the mysterious vitrification of hourglass sand, with an almost alchemical ambition to crystallise time.

The Unplayed Notes Factory, therefore, invites visitors to venture out to the island of Murano to discover the awakening of this factory which has been turned into a true “tableau vivant.” Shaken by a strange choreography, the factory’s history takes shape again and rambles at the rate of ovens burning, glass volumes turning solid and breaking, smokescreens evaporating, outlines whose glow sometimes echoes the flare of certain vanities. Temporarily reactivated, the factory dreams—dreams that sometimes turn into nightmares—and drifts before going out eternally.

Deliberately running counter to the frantic pace and excitement of the Biennale, The Unplayed Notes Factory is a work which requires visitors to deploy all of theirs talents as explorers. Immersive, productive and performative, The Unplayed Notes Factory slowly rises from the waves to outline, on the lagoon’s horizon, the shadow of a ghost ship in which time and space seem to merge.

On that occasion, the publishing house JRP Ringier will release the retrospective publication The Unplayed Notes (the forbidden book 2012–2017) which includes a significant essay by Nicolas Bourriaud.

Press enquiries for Unplayed Notes Factory by Loris Gréaud: 
Heymann, Renoult Associées - Agnès Renoult
Lucile Gouge (France): l.gouge [​at​] heymann-renoult.com 
Bettina Bauerfeind (International and Europe): b.bauerfeind [​at​] heymann-renoult.com / T +33144617676