The history of International Blown Glass Symposiums in Lviv

Erwin Eisch, 1995
Erwin Eisch, 1995

The history of International Blown Glass Symposiums in Lviv began in 1989 due to the initiative of one of the founders of the international studio movement at post-socialistic space Andrii Bokotey. The symposiums take place in Lviv every three years. The artists, symposium members have the opportunity to work near furnaces with a crew of highly qualified glass blowers. On the results of the work, an exhibition is held, and they exposed the works as an offer for the city. Over 270 artists from 36 countries have already participated in the symposiums. The unique collection of compositions includes over 450 units; it is stored in the funds of Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv and Glass Museum in Lviv and is the reflexion of modern state of the world glass art. The goal of organizers is in foundation of glass museum with permanent exhibition, and thus, in the possibility of exposition of full symposium collection in future.

There are just several glass museums functioning in the world, the funds of which keep the works of such well-known artists as Erwin Eisch, Marvin Lipofsky, Stephen Powell, Edward Leibovitz, Jiri Šuhájek, Josh Simpson, Stephen Edwards, Michael Rogers, Yan Zoritchak and many others. However, the collection none of them was formed from author’s works, performed in one place during artistic forums. This thing, at first sight, can have no essential meaning for cultural value of museum collection, but first of all, the specificity of the process of author’s composition performance by blowing should be taken into account.