Date: 27th November 2010 – 3rd January 2011
Place: Bethlehem Chapel’s Basement (map)

Entrance fee:
Adults – 50 CZK (2 €)
Children, students under 26 years, retired – 25 CZK (1 €)

Exhibition schedule

Pictures from installation of the exhibition

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Exhibition scenario

We would like to devote the next Christmas exhibition to glass. It is a significant material which the man has been using approximately for 5.000 year now. The first manmade glass, in form of beads, was caused by chance as a by-product of ceramic production. It took several millenniums until the man mastered the production of glass by melting and subsequent cooling of quartz sand. This process gradually evolved and became more and more sophisticated. Thus some new and even secret production ways were found which the glassmakers would pass on to their sons not until on their deathbeds.

We will not concentrate much on glass production. Our main focus will be on glass in relation to Christmas. The “Christmas” glass tradition in our country is not that long – it goes back to the first half of 19th century and concerns mainly blown Christmas decorations and statuettes or bead decorations. We can say that this craft was flourishing then and our producers were supplying many countries with those products.

Much longer tradition has stained glass and painting (underpainting) on glass. This technique has its roots in ancient Egypt. In our country it became common in the medieval times and you can find a lot of artists today who use this technique. We will show pieces of art from many of them.

We will make possible for artists to show their craftsmanshiftduring the exhibition so that the visitors can take a look at how the work is actually done. We will cooperate with Mr. Vlastimil Vondruška– an expert on history of glass, with The museum of glass and jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisouand hopefully with others.

There are going to be pieces of art from other materials as well besides the glass ones so that the visitor can compare and the exhibition is not too one-sided.

We attach photos of two artists, who already took part in our exhibitions and who work with glass.

Mr. Ondřej Vajgl creates figures with the drawn glass technique. The photos are from our Summer exhibition Stone, Glass and Silk in 2007.

Mrs. Valérie Benáčková uses the technique glass underpainting. The photos were shot at our Summer exhibition Wood, Glass and Stone in 2006.

Ondřej Vajgl and drawn glass technique

Valérie Benáčková and glass underpainting