Monster Cabaret

The Monster Cabaret is a curated exhibition that explores the concept of monstrosity through the inspired lens of artists and their respective original practice. The show presents a collection that was conceived by Lasvit as an invitation for artists to work with glass and give them a free creative platform to use the transparent material as an artistic medium in order to express their idiosyncratic interpretation of the theme. The Lasvit Monster Collection presents a creative attempt at giving sculptural form to the psychological and social notion in question. Each artist interprets the theme liberally based on their experience and artistic sensibilities, which resulted in a whimsical cabinet of curiosities. Artists and designers experimented with glass and challenged their monstrous ideas, ranging from personal or humorous means of dealing with the topic to probing and problematic cultural commentary. Using a variety of traditional and innovative techniques, the artworks display an ensemble of sculptural objects demonstrating both simple and complex glassmaking processes, which complement the multilayered concepts within the work shaped by the unique talent of each artist.

Participating Artists:
The Campana Brothers, Daniel Libeskind, Alessandro Mendini, René Roubíček, Vladimír Kopecký, Jaroslav Brychta, Fabio Novembre, Nendo, Maxim Velčovský, Maarten Baas, Martin Janecký, Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman, Moritz Waldemeyer, Stanislav Müller, Raja Schwahn-Reichmann, Stephan Hamel, Yabu Pushelberg.

Official Press Release:

MONSTER CABARET ACCOMPANIED BY BURLESQUE SHOW ARRIVES TO MILAN!
Teatro Gerolamo, April 17 - 22

Come closer and hear a story you have never heard before. We are going to tell you about the monsters of glass and the monsters within us, about the hidden creatures that sleep in our heads waiting to be set free. They can frighten us at first, but they can also open up our minds. They remind us of our own limitations and inner fears. Beware of Monsters….they could be the very exit we so desperately need.

Milan, April 2018 – The cutting-edge Czech company Lasvit brings to the Milanese Teatro Gerolamo a show full of beasts, antiheroes, vicious genius minds, egos, outcasts, and fantastical creatures. All of them created out of glass, an outcome of a symphony of well-respected designers with the best bohemian artisans. Beside this premiering collection, visitors can admire Lasvit’s signature glass installation. At the stage of Gerolamo will dominate composition of 108 small Neverending Glory chandeliers, the admired and best selling collection of the company, and in the middle of the auditorium: The Independant, the First of Pendants Rising from the Floor.
“In the old days, there used to be pillars on the corners of the streets where you could learn what recently happened and what is going to happen. The Independant is a billboard of its time, its crystal screens delivering the crystal-clear truth. What you are going to believe is up to you,“ says the Art Director of Lasvit, Maxim Velčovský.
A magnificently monstrous installation dwells in the center of the theatre’s auditorium. More than one hundred TV screens are strapped to its body and broadcast “their master's voice.” Sometimes it’s just a whisper, while at other times it’s more of a translation machine that presents dire warnings in human tongues.
“It is an audiovisual labyrinth that features the most beautiful fake news that mankind has freely created and selected. It can bring the rain or the sun, it can flourish and it can burn. The most interesting monsters of our time can talk through its screens,“ adds Velčovský.
Unique glass artwork collection reflects the monstrosity of our time
The pack of monsters looks down at the Independant from the 3rd floor. This exceptional collection for the very first time sees the light of day in the history-drenched venue of the Milanese Teatro Gerolamo. This limelight, specifically built for measure for puppet shows, will, for a few days at least, become a safe haven for the Monsters.
In their tangible glass form, the monsters have traveled from many corners of the world. Very renowned designers, such as Alessandro Mendini, the Campana Brothers, Yabu Pushelberg, Nendo, Fabio Novembre, Daniel Libeskind, Maarten Bass, Moritz Waldemayer, Maurizio Galante or Lasvit’s own art-director Maxim Velčovský, gave us a peek into their minds and revealed their personal monsters to us. The usage of Bohemian glass is symptomatic, because glass as a material is almost as eternal as monsters. Some of them exist also in the form of miniatures – the travel version – allowing you to pack a bit of monstrosity wherever life may take you.
“This collection is truly exceptional, not only on account of the ideas behind it, but also in terms of the craftsmanship. Some of the designs are really challenging for the artisans and the most unique pieces are available only in limited editions,” explains Leon Jakimič, President and founder of Lasvit.

The Cabaret presentation underlines the artistic concept

Cabarets have always been places where writers, artists, poets, and musicians met. They are a melting pot of all kinds of different ideas and philosophies, of both joy and satire. One would be hard-pressed to find a better stage to present the collection of these glass-yet-living creatures with such strong stories embedded within them.
The visitors of this show will be enchanted not only by the beauty of Lasvit’s finest selection of glassware and lighting collections , but also by the living glamour of burlesque dancers who will be performing their monstrous show. Every hour a new show begins on the stage of the Teatro Gerolamo. Together with the dancers, the Neverending Glory installation presents a dynamic lighting show.
Still not enough? Peek into the dark corners of the Teatro Gerolamo, and you might find more enchanting beauty just waiting to be discovered. Many of the company’s glassware and lighting collections will be displayed around the premises. Or take a rest in the tiny cinema where you can relax after your long journey through the theatre while watching the movie Breakpoint, which opens the secret vault of Lasvit’s founder, Leon Jakimič, for all to see.