<Bořek Šípek - Retrospective>
Invitation to the exhibition at the Dancing House
From November 13, 2019, to March 22, 2020, the largest retrospective exhibition of the world-renowned artist, designer, and architect Bořek Šípek, titled Retrospective, will be on display at the Dancing House Gallery. This will also be the last comprehensive sales exhibition of originals from Mr. Šípek's deposit. Visitors can expect around 200 glass objects and 60 pieces of designer furniture that the artist handcrafted. The event will also showcase previously unexhibited prototypes found in the estate. The exhibition is created in collaboration with Bořek Šípek's family and private collectors. The curator is Jana Sommerová.
"The concept of the Retrospective will be unconventional. We will install the exhibition against a colorful background to open up a new perspective on unique works, allowing visitors to become acquainted with the original color concept and the placement of glass in interiors, as the author intended," said gallery director Robert Vůjtek.
Exhibition visitors will be able to view a diverse family of objects – vases, bowls, carafes, glasses, chandeliers, porcelain mugs, dishes, plates, chairs, armchairs, tables, cabinets, libraries, lamps, and candlesticks, each with its own existence and character, tied together by their author, Bořek Šípek. Among the most valuable works are two glass swords that Mr. Šípek manufactured in 2003 for Karl Lagerfeld in France. These swords have never been exhibited in the Czech Republic. Another gem is Mr. Šípek's last created work – a wall vase. It was made just a few days before his death. Visitors can also look forward to a collection of handcrafted chairs from the 1990s, which were acquired from a private collection and have also never been displayed.
During his last exhibition at the Dancing House in 2015, Bořek Šípek said of his work: “I enjoy giving things a soul, creating our valuable partners from seemingly inferior and often merely practical objects. Objects with a soul resonate with us and provoke a reaction – we can hate them, condemn them, admire them, love them, or seize them. They can become a part of our everyday and festive lives.”
November 13, 2019 – March 22, 2020
Bořek Šípek – Retrospective
Dancing House Gallery
Jiráskovo náměstí 6, Prague 2
Exhibition curator: Jana Sommerová
www.galerietancicidum.cz
About the Author
Artist, architect, and designer Bořek Šípek (1949) has been dedicated to working with glass from the beginning of his career. His first experiences were gained under his mentor, glass artist René Roubíček. In 1968, Šípek moved to Germany, where he studied architecture and philosophy. After relocating to the Netherlands, he began working on designs for various buildings and interiors. His first significant successes came in the early 1980s, when world-renowned companies began to take an interest in his work. Upon returning to his homeland, Šípek became a co-founder of the now-famous glass company Ajeto, with workshops in Nový Bor and Lindava, in line with his original glassmaking profession. He also served as the chief architect of Prague Castle, becoming the only artist after Josip Plečnik who could influence the architectural and artistic design of the castle's interiors. During this time, unique chandeliers and other lighting, vases, drinkware, glass components of furniture, and other interior furnishings were created for the representative spaces of the Castle under the architect's guidance. In his work, he built on the strong Czech glassmaking tradition. His enthusiasm for Czech baroque is reflected in his fondness for voluminous shapes, which he combined in unusual ways with strict geometric lines and seemingly thoughtless color accents. In addition to his free-spirited creations, he also designed functional objects, but according to his own words, functionality is a starting point, not the goal of creation. For several years, he collaborated with Czech Television, for which he designed, among other things, the Thalia Award, given by the Czech Actors' Association for extraordinary performances in the dramatic arts. Šípek's pedagogical work was also commendable – in the 1990s, he taught at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and later at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He was the dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec, where he established a completely new field of study called "Environmental Design". Bořek Šípek passed away in 2016.
More information >
"The concept of the Retrospective will be unconventional. We will install the exhibition against a colorful background to open up a new perspective on unique works, allowing visitors to become acquainted with the original color concept and the placement of glass in interiors, as the author intended," said gallery director Robert Vůjtek.
Exhibition visitors will be able to view a diverse family of objects – vases, bowls, carafes, glasses, chandeliers, porcelain mugs, dishes, plates, chairs, armchairs, tables, cabinets, libraries, lamps, and candlesticks, each with its own existence and character, tied together by their author, Bořek Šípek. Among the most valuable works are two glass swords that Mr. Šípek manufactured in 2003 for Karl Lagerfeld in France. These swords have never been exhibited in the Czech Republic. Another gem is Mr. Šípek's last created work – a wall vase. It was made just a few days before his death. Visitors can also look forward to a collection of handcrafted chairs from the 1990s, which were acquired from a private collection and have also never been displayed.
During his last exhibition at the Dancing House in 2015, Bořek Šípek said of his work: “I enjoy giving things a soul, creating our valuable partners from seemingly inferior and often merely practical objects. Objects with a soul resonate with us and provoke a reaction – we can hate them, condemn them, admire them, love them, or seize them. They can become a part of our everyday and festive lives.”
November 13, 2019 – March 22, 2020
Bořek Šípek – Retrospective
Dancing House Gallery
Jiráskovo náměstí 6, Prague 2
Exhibition curator: Jana Sommerová
www.galerietancicidum.cz
About the Author
Artist, architect, and designer Bořek Šípek (1949) has been dedicated to working with glass from the beginning of his career. His first experiences were gained under his mentor, glass artist René Roubíček. In 1968, Šípek moved to Germany, where he studied architecture and philosophy. After relocating to the Netherlands, he began working on designs for various buildings and interiors. His first significant successes came in the early 1980s, when world-renowned companies began to take an interest in his work. Upon returning to his homeland, Šípek became a co-founder of the now-famous glass company Ajeto, with workshops in Nový Bor and Lindava, in line with his original glassmaking profession. He also served as the chief architect of Prague Castle, becoming the only artist after Josip Plečnik who could influence the architectural and artistic design of the castle's interiors. During this time, unique chandeliers and other lighting, vases, drinkware, glass components of furniture, and other interior furnishings were created for the representative spaces of the Castle under the architect's guidance. In his work, he built on the strong Czech glassmaking tradition. His enthusiasm for Czech baroque is reflected in his fondness for voluminous shapes, which he combined in unusual ways with strict geometric lines and seemingly thoughtless color accents. In addition to his free-spirited creations, he also designed functional objects, but according to his own words, functionality is a starting point, not the goal of creation. For several years, he collaborated with Czech Television, for which he designed, among other things, the Thalia Award, given by the Czech Actors' Association for extraordinary performances in the dramatic arts. Šípek's pedagogical work was also commendable – in the 1990s, he taught at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and later at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna. He was the dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Technical University of Liberec, where he established a completely new field of study called "Environmental Design". Bořek Šípek passed away in 2016.
More information >
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