The glass department at a top European art academy is framing an upcoming exhibition as a bid to present glass art squarely in conceptual territory. Student and faculty of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie's glass department will show new work at an exhibition taking place at the Arti et Amicitae, a historic artists' society in Amsterdam. With an opening reception on Friday, May 20th, from 8 PM to 10 PM, the exhibition organized by department head Jens Pfeifer seeks to "discover and research the possibilities of both immaterial and conceptual attributes of glass within the realm of contemporary art."
Expanding the definition of glass beyond material and getting at a more metaphoric meaning is further discussed in the exhibition announcement: "Aiming towards an understanding of glass not only as a great material to work with but even more as a carrier of connotations, which it has by nature and which are engrafted in our semiotic memory. Through its inherent qualities, glass has contributed like no other material to a vast number of metaphors and allegories. When art is not about a material but about the potentials of a material and the connection it seeks to other entities, be it materials, creatures or space."
IF YOU GO:
"Unannealed: The Large Glass Department" May 20 - June 19, 2016 Opening reception: May 20th, 6 PM to 8 PM Arti et Amicitae Rokin 112 Amsterdam More information.