In Past Show

GLASSFEVER - Contemporary Art in Glass at Fondazione Berengo

In the hands of Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans, molten glass becomes a virus, able to invade existing furniture and alter its form and function. Bergmans, who studied design at Design Academy Eindhoven and the Royal College of Art, London, fell in love with the craft after seeing master glassblowers at the Royal Leerdam Crystal factory. She cultivates mutations as her products are produced, as in the Unlimited Edition vases, which are machine extruded as an endless tube of clay, then cut and allowed to dry in unique shapes. "No two people are the same, and neither are two of the hairs that grow on your head. I wish our products were a bit more like this as well,” Bergmans has said. “The next step in mass production could be controlled imperfect production, for interesting, personal objects."