Catching the light
Blown Glass Symposium in Lviv closed with the exhibition at the Andrei Sheptytsky National Museum
The Day has recently reported about the opening of the 11th International Symposium of Blown Glass, which took place at the Lviv National Academy of Arts (see the article “Textbook figures” in The Day’s issue No. 60 from October 8, 2013). Artists and art critics from the United States, China, Mexico, Belgium, Belarus, Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine, who work with blown glass and design participated in the event. In addition to high class artists working at the furnaces, the program of the symposium included presentations, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions. According to the traditions that formed about a quarter of a century ago – in 1989, the symposium closed with an exhibition at Andrei Sheptytsky National Museum on 20 Svobody Avenue.
Andrii Bokotei, Rector of the Academy of Arts, winner of Taras Shevchenko Prize, founder and permanent chairman of the Symposium Organizing Committee, told The Day that in 24 years of the symposium history the most famous glass masters from around the world have been coming to Lviv, including Marvin Lipofski, Jiri Suhajek, Michael Rogers, Yan Zoritchak, Boris Fyodorov, Fidail Ibragimov, Josh Simpson, Remigijus Kriukas, and Valeria Florescano.
“It is interesting for me to come to Ukraine again and again, because I discover another part of the world,” said designer and glassblower from Mexico Valeria Florescano. “I am also very glad that I can meet my old friends, find new ones, exchange experience and, of course, teach the students, in whom I see extraordinary enthusiasm to work and art, about the skills I have.”
“Staying in Lviv brings special feelings,” Ed Fevre, master from Holland, shared his impressions. “Even, given the fact that in order to get these feelings you had to leave your cozy studio, where you know the location of each instrument, and go to another country to share your experience with people, who want to create art work.”
“I can’t explain in short why such events are so attractive,” said “veteran” of Lviv symposia Remigijus Kriukas from Lithuania, for whom it was his fifth time to participate in the event. “There is very warm atmosphere here, just like the glass that I work with.”
The solemn opening of the exhibition at the National Museum featuring the art works created during the 11th International Symposium of Blown Glass was held by the Head of Lviv Oblast State Administration Viktor Shemchuk. He said: “I am convinced that this art will develop with new artists, whose creative style will be determined by experimentation and versatility.” It should be noted that according to the rules of the international symposium every participant presents one of his works to Lviv and later they all will be exhibited at the Museum of Glass, which already has a collection of more than 350 unique exhibits.
You can find more photos on The Day’s website www.day.kiev.ua
