In the fall of 1968, Chihuly interrupted his work at RISD to take advantage of a second Fulbright Fellowship, for travel to Italy and to work at the Venini Fabrica on Murano. He knew that the best glassblowing in the world was done there, and he wanted access to the techniques that had been refined on the island over the centuries. Though Venini hosted many visiting artists and architects, in the factory individual signature styles were shunned in favor of teamwork and intense technical experimentation. Comparatively deficient in glassblowing skills but with significant architectural and design experience, Chihuly was assigned to work, on his own, on the proposal for an architectural competition in the city of Ferrara. Intended to be walked through, Venini's entry for the lobby installation was to be made of plastic, glass, and steel. Although the installation was never realized, a photograph of its sleek model indicates it was very much of its time: see-through, corporate high-tech. One spherical element of the installation was made in full scale. Outlined with opalescent neon, the sphere was turn into a prototype lighting fixture. No longer extant, this 36-inch fixture was the chief tangible product of Chihuly's months on Murano at Venini Fabrica.

While at Venini, Chihuly was free to study the processes of glassblowing as practiced by a select handful of master glassblowers, together with teams of assistants. He absorbed the collaborative master-and-team approach and has made it his own, although when he returned to Providence in the fall of 1969 to head the new glass program, Chihuly continued to work alone on glass and neon installations.