GLASS
Naturally occurring obsidian glass was used by Stone Age societies because it breaks along very sharp edges, making it ideal for cutting tools and weapons. Glassmaking dates back at least 6,000 years, long before humans discovered how to smelt iron. Archaeological evidence suggests that the first truly synthetic glass was produced in Lebanon and along the coast of northern Syria, in Mesopotamia, or in ancient Egypt. The earliest known glass objects, dating from the mid-third millennium BC, were beads, which may initially have been accidental byproducts of metalworking (slag) or produced during the manufacture of faience, a glass-like material made through a glazing-like process.
FRAGMENTS
by Francesco Langer
I captured the unique structures of the Pastoruri Glacier using a 3D scanner during a two-week expedition through the Peruvian Andes. Through a combination of digital technologies and traditional glassblowing techniques, I was able to archive these structures and transform them into lamps. Only by illuminating the beauty and significance of what is still here but will soon be gone can we understand the power of our collective action and initiate change.
CAMBIO
by Francesco Langer
In human development, the most significant changes occur invisibly—through the decisions we make throughout our lives and the events they set in motion. The insights gained from these changes shape our personality. This work explores this transformation and attempts to give it an external form. Several identical wax blanks were exposed to various forces over an extended period, and the resulting manifestations were captured in hand-blown glass. The result is a series of vessels of the same origin but distinct character.
MOMENTUM
by Francesco Langer
For this series, I explored the city of Berlin to find inspiration for a new work. What I've always appreciated about Berlin are its many parks and beautiful tree-lined avenues. So I began visiting trees in places I often frequented during my childhood.
Those that are particularly old and imposing. Or that had particularly striking structures, and he began to experiment with them.
Sometimes I hesitate to let things be. It's easy to intervene and impose your will on something. But I feel we lose a lot that way. Some things need time to develop organically, and questioning them too much often leads to mostly doubt. Sometimes it's better to go with the flow and let things go.
Finding beauty in naturally grown structures gives me the opportunity to stop evaluating aesthetic or functional aspects and concentrate on exploring my surroundings and focusing on the process of glassmaking.
UNITY
by Francesco Langer
I created this glass object from 3D scans of sandstone structures I brought back from a short climbing trip in Spain. From this digital material, I developed two positive and negative models of each other and printed them in PLA. I then made a silicone negative from each of these. This allowed me to use leftover material to cast the molded parts. The cast structures were placed in a frame welded together from metal plates, preheated, and then blown with glass.
In 2021, I could have done anything and still not liked it. I put so much pressure on myself to create something special, something great, something new, that I ended up paralyzed. I kept this work hidden for a long time, but then I realized that this piece of glass is a symbol for me to keep going and not overthink my own artistic work.
PRUNUSAVIUM
by Francesco Langer
This handcrafted glass vase is part of a series that combines modern technologies with traditional craftsmanship.
The shape of an old bird cherry tree was 3D-scanned during a visit to the Botanical Garden in Berlin.
The scan was processed and scaled, then 3D printed. A multi-part mold was then created by hand from this positive impression before being blown with glass.
52°27'15.4"N 13°18'25.8"E"