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Glorious Glass
Exhibitions
7 July till 8 November 2020

Glorious Glass

Optical glass art from the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Pavol Hlôška, Box, 2003, optical glass, cut and polished, two nuggets of Australian gold. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Pavol Hlôška, Box, 2003, optical glass, cut and polished, two nuggets of Australian gold. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have a long tradition of glassmaking, with a lively glassmaking industry that is known for its craftsmanship and precision. In former Czechoslovakia, glass was used mainly as a material for applied art, until Czech artist Václav Cígler established the Glass in Architecture department at the art academy in Bratislava in 1965. Cígler trained a new generation of glass artists and set up his own movement in international glass art. The artists of his ‘school’ were guided more by the creative process, producing autonomous sculptures in optical glass that are full of light and motion.

The abstract geometric optical glass art of Václav Cígler (b. 1929), Lubomír Arzt (1946-2015), Miloš Balgavý (b. 1955), Pavol Hlôška (b. 1953), Zora Palová (b. 1947) and Štěpán Pala (b. 1944) was on display in several places at Emma the Queen Mother’s former winter palace from 7 July to 8 November 2020 for everyone to see and admire, from all angles.

Václav Cígler, Gap, 1968-2004, optical glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas. Photo: Gerrit Schreurs.

Václav Cígler, Gap, 1968-2004, optical glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas. Photo: Gerrit Schreurs.

Václav Cígler, Gap, 1991, vacuum metal mirrored glass, glued, cut and polished, aluminum. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas. Photo: Gerrit Schreurs.

Lubomír Arzt, Champagne, 2000, optical glass, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Lubomír Arzt, Champagne, 2000, optical glass, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Miloš Balgavý, Sphere, 2002, optical glass. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Miloš Balgavý, Sphere, 2002, optical glass. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Václav Cígler, Pyramid, 1987, vacuum metal coated table glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Václav Cígler, Pyramid, 1987, vacuum metal coated table glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Štěpán Pala, Bridegroom, 1992, optical glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Štěpán Pala, Bridegroom, 1992, optical glass, glued, cut and polished. Collection Kunstmuseum Den Haag, long-term loan Stichting Modern Glas

Also read

It was Glorious

It was Glorious

The exhibition ‘Glorious Glass: Optical glass art from the Czech Republic and Slovakia’ was supposed to be on display at Escher in The Palace until 8 November. Unfortunately, events have overtaken us. Due to the developments surrounding Covid-19, the museum will be closing for at least two weeks from 5 November. Thus putting an abrupt end to the Glorious Glass exhibition. For those keen to reminisce about the exhibition or for those who missed out, our curator Judith Kadee has written an interesting article about the unique collection of optical glass featured in the exhibition.
Read more