World renowned glass artists and designers debut thought-provoking new artworks at Sarasota Art Museum
“Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin: Precession Through Glass” challenges the limits of glasswork and human understanding
Free-blown and cold-worked glass, and steel, 94 1/2 x 70 7/8 x 9 7/8 in. Courtesy of the artists. Photo: Alex Ramsay.
Sarasota, Florida — For over 40 years, internationally acclaimed artists Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin have revolutionized the studio glass movement. Their work has been shown in hundreds of exhibitions worldwide, including a monumental installation in England’s Canterbury Cathedral (2018). Additionally, their glasswork is held in over 45 collections around the globe. Now, visitors will have the opportunity to experience brand new creations by the celebrated duo in “Precession Through Glass” on view at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design November 15, 2026–April 25, 2027.
Moving far beyond traditional craft, “Precession Through Glass” uses the clarity and fragility of glass to tackle existential questions. Central to the artists’ practice is an interest in the theories and breakthroughs that continue to reshape our understanding of humanity’s origins and civilization.
Anchoring the exhibition is a 31-ft mixed media sculpture representing one of life’s greatest mysteries: a DNA double helix. The never-before-seen installation was commissioned by Sarasota Art Museum and soars from floor to ceiling in SAM’s third-floor tower gallery. Metalwork creates the iconic structure of the DNA spiral. Suspended between the twisting metal bands are dozens of glass-blown amphorae—ancient jars used by early human civilizations to store and transport commodities—representing the nitrogenous bases that make up the code for all life. Like most works by Guggisberg and Baldwin, this installation references larger ideas.
“We were interested to learn about Francis Crick, who was part of the team that co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953,” explained Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg. Crick was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1962 for this significant scientific contribution. “What was especially fascinating to us was that later, in 1973, Crick, with fellow scientist Leslie Orgel, would go on to propose the theory of ‘Directed Panspermia,’ the idea that DNA arrived here on Earth from somewhere else,” continued the artists.
Free-blown and cold-worked glass, and metal, assembled, 68 7/8 x 181 1/16 x 8 11/16 in. Courtesy of the artists. Photo: Christoph Lehmann.
Surrounding the towering, mixed-media DNA sculpture are meteors made of glass, scattered across the gallery floor—a nod to this challenging notion that remains controversial within the scientific community today.
The glass blown amphorae, too, are packed with deeper meaning. As glass experts, Baldwin and Guggisberg have been making amphorae, among the oldest human technologies, since the mid-1990s.
“DNA exists to transmit information,” explained Philip Baldwin. “And what are amphorae? They are vessels of transport. From wine and grain to olive oil, these ancient structures were prolific across not only the ancient Mediterranean world; amphorae have been found in China dating back 5,000 years. They have even been found in glaciers dating back to the ice age.”
A second mixed-media installation commissioned by Sarasota Art Museum reflects the scientific principle behind the exhibition’s title, “Precession Through Glass.”
Astronomical precession is a phenomenon that describes a slow, 26,000-year “wobble” in the rotation of the planet due to Earth’s tilted axis. At the center of the installation is a metallic and glass sculpture featuring a steel orb representing Earth. Circular glass sheets bisect the cylindrical form, representing the tilt of the Earth’s equator and its orbit around the sun. Surrounding the central sculpture is a constellation of 60 glass-blown bowls undulating in space, representing the highest form of human craftsmanship and culture. According to the artists, bowls are among the more technically challenging forms to realize in the medium. The number of bowls carries special significance and refers to the sexagesimal numerical system, which is based on the number 60. Developed by the ancient Sumerians and Babylonians, the most familiar modern applications of this system can be found in timekeeping (60 seconds in a minute; 60 minutes in an hour) and geometry (360 degrees in a circle).
“What’s especially interesting to us is that every mythology on the planet refers to this fact of astronomical precession,” explained Monica Guggisberg. “There is so much archeological evidence going back thousands of years demonstrating that somehow human beings have been aware of this phenomenon—that the Earth doesn’t simply revolve but does so with a slight wobble—and we’ve known about this for a very long time.”
“Every school child should learn this. It’s fundamental to understanding our human story,” added Baldwin.
“Monica Guggisberg and Philip Baldwin inspire us to think beyond a purely mechanical view of the universe,” said Sarasota Art Museum Executive Director Virginia Shearer. “Their work creates a conversation between logic and feeling, between what we can measure and what we can only sense. At the same time, their craftsmanship in glass is extraordinary, making these complex ideas accessible through visually striking forms. So often in the glass world, you see a strong formal focus with special attention on mastery of the medium. Here, Guggisberg and Baldwin have mastered their medium, but they’ve done something more—their conceptual approach to the work especially sets them apart.”
Visitors will also see examples of the artists’ more traditional glasswork on pedestals, including more amphorae as well as pieces created using the Italian glass art technique incalmo, which involves joining two pieces of glass together while hot.
For the artists, their hope is that visitors walk away from the exhibition with thoughtful reflection.
“To be clear, we don’t pretend to know anything. We are just citizens and artists and are asking questions,” concluded Baldwin and Guggisberg. “We hope to inspire wonder. Wonder doesn’t mean knowing; It means wonder. And it implies wonder-ful.”
About Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design (SAM) is the city’s only museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Founded in 2019, SAM features an ever-rotating lineup of world-class exhibitions, dynamic programs, and enriching educational offerings, and serves as a creative gathering place for curious minds from across the Gulf Coast, Southeast United States, and beyond. Housed in the historic former Sarasota High School, the Museum has revitalized and reimagined the towering landmark and architectural treasure, connecting Sarasota’s past with its present. Today, SAM is home to 15,000 square feet of gallery exhibition space, where nationally touring shows, as well as curated and commissioned exhibits by both renowned and emerging artists, deepen visitors’ appreciation for 20th- and 21st-century art. More at SarasotaArtMuseum.org