Founded in 1983, the International Research Center for Glass and the Visual Arts (Cirva) is a creative utopia. This laboratory focuses on the study of glass and operates at the intersection of the visual arts, design, and the arts and crafts, having initially been driven by industrial ambitions.

Based in Marseille since 1986, this unique art center hosts artists from around the world in residency programs; for most of them, this is their first experience working with glass. They come to tap into the expertise of teams specializing in technique, chemistry, and engineering, whose skills enable the material to take on the shape of their dreams. The result is projects that are both technically and conceptually ambitious.

The exhibition Glass: transcending matter. The Cirva collections offers a glimpse into research projects that take a contemporary look at a material that has been worked with for millennia, as seen through the Cirva collection. It brings design and the visual arts into dialogue through various themes, adopting a transdisciplinary approach.