The history that links Vistosi to this wonderful Japanese city goes back more than two decades.

2012
In 2012, the Italian Cultural Institute of Tokyo hosted a significant exhibition titled “The Philosophy of the Master”: works by Architect Angelo Mangiarotti and his relationship with his Japanese students. Organized by the Italian Cultural Institute, the Mangiarotti Studio (Trust Fondazione Angelo Mangiarotti), and Mangiarotti Japanese Associates, the event coincided with the 91st birthday of the Master, who was still actively engaged in his art at the time. Since 1960, Mangiarotti had encouraged a strong Japanese presence at the Mangiarotti Studio in Milan, influencing all its activities over the years. The exhibition offered a comprehensive view of the Master’s work, including furniture, objects, and architectural projects, and featured the presentation of the book “JAPANESE ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS FROM THE MANGIAROTTI STUDIO.”

2013
The following year, Vistosi returned to the Japanese city for another important exhibition event. On October 14, 2013, marked the opening of “500 Years of Experience in Vistosi Glass Craftsmanship Meets Japanese DESIGN,” hosted at the prestigious Axis Gallery Symposia – Axis Building B1F, Roppongi 5-17-1, Minato-ku, in Tokyo.

2019

Vistosi returned to Tokyo with a new exhibition, curated by Professors Franz Graf and Francesca Albani, celebrating the work and thought of Maestro Angelo Mangiarotti, who died in 2012. Titled “Angelo Mangiarotti – The Tectonics of Assembly,” the exhibition was hosted from September 13 to 29 at the Italian Cultural Institute. Originally conceived in 2015 by the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio at the University of Italian Switzerland , the exhibition had already traveled through various Swiss locations (Mendrisio in 2015, Winterthur in 2016, Zurich in 2017, and Geneva in 2018). In 2019, it made a stop in Novara, where for six weeks, between May and June, it attracted over 5,000 visitors eager to discover or delve deeper into the work of this great Master. Vistosi, one of the main sponsors of the entire series of events, owed its contribution to the creative genius of Mangiarotti, whose work had inspired the Giogali modular lamp system, composed of an innovative element in handcrafted crystal.

“We certainly couldn’t step back,” commented Matteo Moretti, CEO of Vistosi, “since Giogali is one of our emblems but above all perfectly represents the spirit and common research of both the Master and Vistosi. Mangiarotti’s work on the ‘module’ in both architecture and design, with Giogali, reaches one of the highest points of his research: the hook element developed by the master and patented for the first time in 1967 was not just an example of technical-production efficiency, simplification of lines, and ‘essential design,’ but also an exploration of the extreme limits of the material, Murano artistic glass.” Glass, inherently fragile, became structure: thus, architecture became design!

The 2019 Japanese leg of the exhibition, as mentioned, took place in Tokyo at the prestigious venue of the Italian Cultural Institute, one of the most important bastions of Italian culture abroad, housed in a building designed by Gae Aulenti, overlooking the cherry trees of the Palazzo Imperiale in Tokyo.: the event was born with the purpose of presenting Mangiarotti’s design approach, a multifaceted figure who, throughout his professional journey, dealt with various themes: from residential architecture to office spaces, from lighting to furniture design.

Through the industrial design projects, some of which were on display in Tokyo, the importance of the designer’s recurring element in the philosophy was highlighted, as well as the indispensable need he placed in the precise and thorough study of materials. In this vein fits the Giogali system, which Vistosi had chosen to showcase as a precious shimmering crystal drapery.

Since its inception in 1967, Giogali has garnered numerous prizes and awards and has been the focal point of several permanent exhibitions in prestigious museums such as the Milan Triennale and the Glass Museum in Murano. Hence the need to “protect” the product, which – in addition to obtaining several patents in Europe and the US – still today is one of the few (alongside the Nike logo or the Ferrari prancing horse) to have obtained recognition of originality: an acknowledgment that came after over a year of careful analysis by a committee of experts in Brussels, which for the first time recognized the emblematic value of a lighting company’s product.

The inauguration of the exhibition was preceded by a conference attended by the two curators, the award-winning architectural star Pritzker Fumihiko Maki (author of some of Japan’s most iconic architecture), Professor Toshihiko Suzuki of Kougakuin University, and the architect Motomi Kawakami, director of the DESIGN ASSOCIATION NPO and chairman of Japan Institute of Design Promotion.

The Tokyo appointment of 2019 illuminated a central figure in modern architecture and design: a history lesson in architecture for Japanese visitors, but above all, a tribute to the poetic vision of an Italian designer capable of absorbing the teachings of the greatest minds of his time and reworking them into a timeless body of work.

2024
On June 13th and 14th, 2024, Vistosi returns to Tokyo after five years to meet with its long-standing partner, Luminabella, alongside the entire team. During these two days of training and development, there will be discussions about the evolution and innovations of the company, which has transformed into a craft industry with several glassworks under its ownership, some of which are among the largest in Europe. Vistosi is recognized as one of the leading proponents of the finest Made in Italy in the field of decorative lighting in Murano blown glass. It’s a company specializing in custom-made production for many years, supplying the leading luxury brands worldwide and exporting to over 60 countries.