Prag – Ústí nad Labem – Zlín

Prag – Ústí nad Labem – Zlín: Three renowned Czech universities present at the same time in our new exhibition works of students and graduates of their glass departments – an exciting cross-section of young glass made in the Czech Republic. In Czech universities you will discover today a vivid and faceted dealing with the medium glass. Many young artists from all over the world are moving to the Czech Republic to learn here or to work together with the first-class Czech glass studios. For ever glass was regarded as an international figurehead of Czech art and designs. Bohemian glass had already been an attractive export item for decades. Czech artists also discovered in the fifties the artistic power of expression of the material: Glass art became an autonomous type of art with worldwide aura. Even in the world of the Czech design the creative work with glass today head for new, extremely successful paths.

The Academy for Art, Architecture and Design in Prague has a long, changeful history. It started 1885 when according to the wishes of Gottfried Semper, an asserter of a synthesis between art and technology, the significant Prague School of Arts & Crafts (briefly UMPRUM) was founded. In 1947 it was reorganized with the status of a university. Head of the glass studio since 2008 is the internationally coveted top designer Rony Plesl. Ilja Bílek, whose works find recognition worldwide has been head of the glass studio at the Jan-Evangelista-Purkynĕ-Universität in Ústí nad Labem since 1996. The objective of the studio founded in 1992 is a wide-ranging artistic, craftsman and technological training of students who already have completed a glass school. Since its foundation in the year 2008 the renowned artist Petr Stanický has been head of the glass atelier at the Tomáš-Bat´a-Universität in Zlín. In order to develop an authentic artistic position, the students here are required to conceptual thinking. Glass does not end in itself, but act as a medium to artistically reflect social themes.

Photos:

Kateřina Handlová, The Black Hole 1, 2010 – Photo Kateřina Handlová

Tereza Anderlová, Cup for ice cream, 2010 – Photo Tereza Anderlová

Anna Minxová, Watermelon enterprise, 2011 – Photo Horst Kolberg

Luba Bakicová, Oxymoron 1, 2009 – Photo Ilja Bílek