Biography

Born in 1962, Giancarlo starts working at the age of 14 under the supervision of his older bro-ther Pino, a glass master of international fame. He then moves on and works for other Vene-tian furnaces.

1989

Giancarlo opens his own furnace in Murano and soon starts working with renowned painters such as Leismuller, De Vittori, Badley, Licata and Valle.

1990

Based on drawings by Licata and Valle, Giancarlo’s art works are exposed in Paris (Galleria Scremini), in Milan, Singapore and Amsterdam. German chancellor Helmut Kohl visits his furnace. Giancarlo is off to Detroit to teach glassmaking and exposes his art pieces at the Centre of Creative Studies. He creates a statue, ‘Madonna Nera di Cracovia’, which he personally hands to Pope John Paul II. He is awarded a honoris causa degree by the College of Optometry of San Giovanni Lupatoto, for which he creates a themed sculpture.

1991

He is in competition at the Biennale Art for ‘Premio Murano’ and wins two awards for his Enzo Brunori-inspired art works.

1992

He travels to France with the idea of pursuing new experiences and collaborations. He creates new sculptures based on the work of Krunic. Commissioned by David Niven’s wife, Paulina Tersmeden, he creates a statue depicting a hot air baloon inspired by the novel ‘Around The World in 80 Days’. Based on children’s drawings, he creates a series of art works. The profits from the sale go to Hopital Pasteur (Pasteur Pediatric Hospital of Nice, France).

1993

The French Ministry of Education chooses him to hold a series of lectures in schools in Eze, Nice and Monaco to introduce students to the art of glassmaking. He begins collaborating with painter Marc Estel. He exhibits his art works at various galleries in Nice. One of his pieces becomes part of the permanent collection of the Modern Art Museum of Nice. He creates a bas-relief depicting the village of Eze, later exhibited at the local townhall. He makes a glass sculpture depicting a football shoe for Monaco Footbal Club’s manager Arsene Wenger.

1994

He starts collaborating with Germàn Tessarolo. He decorates a church door in Bosnia in collabo-ration with sculptor Rini Dado (Dieci Commandamenti).

1995

He opens ‘L’ile Du Tresor’, an Eze-based permanent exhibition of his work. On commission, he creates various throphies including Cannes’ Palm D’or of Gastronomy.

1996

He exhibits his art piece depicting an aquarium filled with glass fish at the Oceanographic Mu-seum of Monaco. Together with tennis player Michael Stich, he creates for Nike a series of Oscar trophies. He collaborates with painter Cesaretti.

1997

A passionate blood donor, he creates a sculpture portraying a blood drop and during a gala hands it to the president of Don De Sang, a charity he’s part of. He is invited by Cesaretti to the ‘Triangle D’Art’ of Castillon. He makes art works for artists Marc Estel and Eduard Finne.

1998

He exhibits at the Gardens of the Chateau De La Chevre D’Or in Eze. He’s once again invited to the ‘Triangle D’Art’ of Castillon. For three years in a row he creates trophies for the international junior tennis tournament Cap D’Ail of Montecarlo.

2000

He creates a glass statue depicting the Toyota symbol and personally hands it to the president of Toyota.

2000-2002

He collaborates with renowned artists and designers from all over the world.

2002

He moves back to Murano and starts working with several furnaces including his brother Pino Signoretto’s and Seguso Viro. Throughout the years, he realises trophies for numerous sports tournaments and events.

2007

As part of the project ‘Arte Insieme’ and together with young people with Down’s syndrome, he designs and creates a Nativity Scene made of glass. He is given the Paul Harris Fellow recognition by the Rotary Foundation.

2009-2011

He works again with his brother Pino.

2011

He starts teaching glassmaking technique at Scuola Del Vetro Abate Zanetti. He teaches to young people between the age of 6 and 20. During his 4-year tenure at the school he teaches to more than 3.000 students coming from all over Italy and the world.

2012

While at Scuola del Vetro Abate Zanetti, he is visited by Japanese Economy Minister Akira Ama-ri. On his own initiative, he relaunches the ‘Premio Murano’, at which he serves as a technical cu-rator. Out of competition, he exhibits new art works commissioned by internationally-famed ar-tists including Nathalie Hambro.

2013

Valerie Biden visits Giancarlo’s furnace. In collaboration with the Venice-based Istituto D’arte, now called Liceo Artistico Michelangelo Guggenheim, he creates art works based on projects conceived by the design students. After making a glass microphone for Italian DJ Albertino, he appears as a guest on a Radio Deejay programme. He creates three unique art pieces for the stylist and designer Larisa Katz. He makes a glass sculpture depicting a shoe for pop star Lady Gaga. As part of ‘Premio Murano’, he creates an unique art piece - based on drawings by Nobel Prize winner Dario Fò - that portrays two jugglers.

2014

He creates a series of sculptures portraying butterflies for stylist Vivienne Westwood. He starts working with Italian literary prize Premio Campiello and meets artist and novelist Mau-ro Corona. He works on a series of projects with designer Hiroko Ueki. He creates a glass umbrella for actress Jane Birkin. He starts collaborating with painter Luigi Voltolina and creates a series of sculptures based on the painter’s work.

2015

He creates a glass sleigh for Albert II, Prince of Monaco, a fan of bobsleigh. He creates a sculpture depicting a Ferrari for Formula 1 driver Sebastian Vettel. From a project conceived by Maria Luisa Tadei, he makes a 2.20m sculpture then exhibited in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ cruise ship Anthem Of The Seas. With the famous Chinese avanguard artist Ma Desheng, he works on a series of art works which are later exhibited at numerous art galleries around the world. He creates art pieces based on the work of Taiwanese artists A Sun Yan and Paloma Chang. Given her drawings, he creates a pair of glass feet for American artist Amy Podmore. In collaboration with the charitable organization ‘Magica Cleme’, he invites children with leucemia to his furnace and has them experience a day in the furnace. In collaboration with ‘Associazione La Girobussola’ he agrees to have blind people come to his furnace for an internship in glassmaking.

2016

Giancarlo is selected among various world renown glass masters for the realization of the “Nymph” in gold crystal for the Montecarlo Television Festival. In 2016 the work is delivered to the actress Marg Helgenberg. In July, he receives a visit from his friend Juan Carlos of Spain. In August, the F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton comes to visit him.

2017

From January, Giancarlo starts to collaborate with Vetreria Bisanzio. Again, he is selected, among other venetians glass masters, to make the “Nymph” in gold crystal for the Montecarlo Television Festival. The work is awarded by the actress Hellen Mirren.

2018

In May, he is selected among various master craftsmen for the realization of a gold crystal mask for the National Amateur Theatre Festival held at the prestigious Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. Giancarlo is again selected for the realization of the "Nymph" in gold crystal for the Montecarlo Television Festival. The work is delivered to the actress Mariska Hargitay. The Hotel Danieli of Venice exhibits the crib made together with AIDP association during the project “Arte Insieme”, after more than ten years from its creation. From July, he creates a series of unique sculptures based on the artist Emiliano Donaggio’s drawing. He carves for the actor Anthony Hopkins a glass sculpture representing his cat.

2019

In March, he is invited to Rome to meet senator Antonio De Poli and inform him about the cur-rent problems the Venetian glassmaking industry faces. In September, he’s visited by a delegation of Bahrain’s Health Ministry. In October, he meets at his furnace Ermelinda Damiano, president of the local council (Comune di Venezia) to discuss the problematics the glassmaking industry regularly faces.
He’s invited as a guest and president of the jury to the Festival Del Vetro at the Museo Del Ve-tro of Piegaro. He holds a conference on the state of the art and the necessity of having young artists involved in the industry to keep the tradition of glassmaking alive in Murano, Piegaro and Altare. He also holds a class in which he demonstrates how to work with glass and talks about the different techniques used in Murano glassmaking.

2020

A luglio, assieme alla sua allieva, Agnese Tegon, apre la propria fornace, Giancarlo Signoretto Master Glass snc. Riprende a collaborare con vari artisti, fra cui Emiliano Donaggio. Collabora con la stilista/artista Tiziana Pavan.

2021

In June on the occasion of the sixtieth Television Festival of Monte Carlo, in addition to the usual "Nymph" in gold crystal, delivered to the French actor/ Turkish Tchèky Karyo realizes another and the delivery personally to Prince Alberto of Monaco, which houses him in his private loggia.
In July, in Venice, he received the "Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement" for professional merit. He visited the sports journalist Amedeo Goria.
He received a visit from Guenda Goria, the journalist’s daughter, where he made a work with her face. In September he receives on a visit, in the furnace, the wife of Paolo Rossi, Federica Cappelletti. In October he was contacted by Cannes on the occasion of "Canneseries" for the realization of a special award for best television series for the year 2021, awarded to the Finnish television series "Mister 8".
He receives a visit from Senator Licia Ronzulli.
In December he designed a project in collaboration with the Emilia Bosis Foundation of Verdello (Bergamo) with President Lucchini, an artistic twinning between glass and patients of Emilia Bosis. Production of glass balls for Christmas trees.

2022

In April he realizes again the special award for the Best Series of "Cannesies", awarded to the television series Istraeliana "The Lesson".
In March, he made a life-size professional racing bike.
In March, he was commissioned to create a life-size statue of world music and film star Michael Jackson.
In May he receives a visit from the great Swiss tennis player Roger Federer.
In June he collaborates with the Consulate of Monaco in Venice and the Yacht Club Venezia and realizes the prizes for the 9th Trofeo Principato di Monaco "Le vele d'epoca in laguna".