www.materialtimes.com

What does 3D printing bring to crisis areas? "People like to use their knowledge for a good cause," says Silvestr Tkáč

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 22:00:00 GMT

The "3D Printing for All" project uses 3D printing to quickly and cheaply produce gadgets and tools in the field, improving access to healthcare and making the work of doctors in crisis areas more efficient. It is a project of the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which with its 60,000 employees provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, natural disasters or lack of access to healthcare around the world.

UNDERGROUND GARDENS AS A COOL HAVEN

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 22:00:00 GMT

In the early twentieth century, a Sicilian immigrant, citrus grower, and visionary named Baldassare Forestiere (1879-1946) began transforming his infertile land in Fresno, California, into an underground oasis that continues to produce citrus fruits and provide shelter against the scorching heat to this day. The Forestiere Underground Gardens are a fascinating example of how small beginnings can lead to great things.

Biologist with an artistic soul: From microscopes to fashion

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Maria Zlobina is a structural biologist working at CEITEC. Normally she studies molecules and their possible bonds with RNA. But that is not all that she does in her laboratory. She uses the discoveries from the microscopic world and brings unique and original patterns to life… on textiles.

FICTION FACTORY: Creating fiction or the future?

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 22:00:00 GMT

How did an Amsterdam-based company go from making theatre sets and mobile homes to producing open-source tools that turn scrap wood into usable components? Fiction Factory is developing solutions today that will shape the future tomorrow.

Body heat to electricity. How this invention could make us more aware of climate change

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 22:00:00 GMT

The Peltchair is made from copper and aluminum, designed with inspiration from nature. It generates power from the heat of whoever sits on it. When you take a seat, the chair softly lights up as your body warmth flows through it. The more heat you emit, the brighter the chair glows.

Future Materials Budapest: Biodesign can treat nature as an obstacle

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 22:00:00 GMT

The Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design held its second Future Materials conference in Budapest in late September, where more than twenty leading biodesigners, scientists, and material engineers from around the world presented visions for using new materials to ensure a more sustainable future. Here is MatériO’ Prague’s brief report from the conference.

Creative sustainability. Zünc Studio helps brands that face the future responsibly

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 22:00:00 GMT

The creative agency Zünc Studio, based in London, was founded by designer Ondřej Zunka. With his team, Ondřej creates both commercial campaigns for eco-friendly brands and experimental projects that can be described by the concept of Bio-Design. What does this term mean for them and what options offer computer graphics and visualization in deepening our knowledge of the natural environment? What is the role of the design in the sustainable future? These and other questions Zünc Studio and Ondřej answered us in our interview.

TEXTILE TRACEABILITY: CAN NEW TECHNOLOGY ALLOW US TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS?

Wed, 03 May 2023 22:00:00 GMT

Consumers want to know more and more about material sources and about products’ environmental and social impacts, but the ability to trace product histories is limited. However, new technologies are emerging that can help customers and companies make more informed decisions. Enter material traceability.

LEMBERK GRANARY UNVEILS 2023 EVENT PROGRAMME

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 22:00:00 GMT

No one was hibernating at Lemberk granary this past winter. Renovations continued at the protected landmark, which the current owners, Lucie Havlová and Tomáš Hendrych, purchased three years ago to convert into a cultural and social venue. We joined them to have a look at their event programming plans. So, how are renovations progressing and what can visitors look forward to this season?

PINEAPPLE-BASED MATERIAL RIVALS ANIMAL LEATHER

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 22:00:00 GMT

In 2019, fashion designer Francesca Nori patented an innovative production process that made it possible to produce the first real pineapple leather. The material called Ananasse™ could be used to replace leather in the fashion industry. To market Ananasse™ she and Fabrizio Moiani co-founded Vérabuccia®. “Because of its scaly appearance, it looks like leather from an exotic animal,” says Francesca. We asked her for more details.

BlueCity: The circular economy in a tropical swimming pool

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 05:00:00 GMT

Right on the Nieuwe Maas River embankment in Rotterdam lies BlueCity, a circular economy incubator located in an unmistakable glass-domed building topped with a “Tropicana” sign. Today this former tropical swimming pool is the home base for dozens of projects investigating how to put the principles of the circular economy into practice.

HYPERLOCAL: MATERIALS AND THOUGHTS FROM A CRATER

Sun, 16 Oct 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Just one kilometre from Ljubljana’s main railway station lies a crater-like pit that formed when a group of army barracks were demolished and part of the site was redeveloped into housing. Over the course of almost thirty years, the unused space turned into an urban jungle. In 2020 the Slovenian Ministry of Justice leased the land, a plot somewhat larger than half a football pitch, to a community of designers, biologists, environmentalists, and artists free of charge - and they have transformed the site into a temporary creative lab aptly named Krater.

Kistefos – Scandinavian Experience

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Kistefos Museum blends an industrial monument with world-class architecture, contemporary art exhibitions, and a picturesque sculpture park in spectacular countryside. We are grateful to this valuable institution´s management for their offer to become partners of our Lemberk Granary project and share with us their expertise. In early September, our team set off for Norway.

BAROQUE GRANARY AT LEMBERK OPENS FOR ITS FIRST SEASON WITH EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITION FOR THE PUBLIC

Tue, 07 Jun 2022 22:00:00 GMT

After extensive renovations, the former granary building has acquired a new roof and will open for the first time this summer season with a new exhibition. Under the guidance of architect and actor David Vávra, the Granary’s owners, Lucie Havlová and Tomáš Hendrych, together with photographer Tomáš Princ and a team of collaborators have created an exhibition titled Lemberk: Step by Step, which explores the historic sites in the Granary’s vicinity, both well-known and obscure.

The future begins with the stone age

Mon, 02 May 2022 22:00:00 GMT

The future begins with the stone age With reused materials and self-construction techniques, forgotten micro villages are reborn. And become an escape from the metropolis and architectural workshops open air.

The future begins with the stone age

Mon, 02 May 2022 22:00:00 GMT

The future begins with the stone age

Mon, 02 May 2022 22:00:00 GMT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Feces is a generally unpopular subject for many, even though it is a renewable resource with plentiful ways of use. In this article we will focus on cow dung. Cow dung is mostly used as a soil fertilizer in our region. But this matter offers many more ways of utilization!

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 22:00:00 GMT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 22:00:00 GMT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 22:00:00 GMT

Frozen in Time: Alena Matějka’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 22:00:00 GMT

A scenery combining dreams with reality opens in Alena Matějka’s current exhibition at Galerie Kuzebauch. The Czech sculptor and glass artist traces family histories and combines them into evasive myths, all cast in timeless, frosted glass. Her objects create this eponymous cabinet of curiosities, a collection of rarities, trophies, sacred reliquaries frozen in time. In a short video created in collaboration with Galerie Kuzebauch, the artist talks of stories behind these individual but always connected objects.

Small Steps Towards the Finish Line: Lada Semecká's Haiku in Galerie Kuzebauch

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 22:00:00 GMT

On the first sight, the exhibition of glass works by Lada Semecká in the Prague based Galerie Kuzebauch evokes simplicity, even modesty: Small, fragile-looking objects combining blown and flat glass with unglazed porcelain are accompanied by glass panels evoking visions of the sky - Moon and the clouds passing through… Perhaps that is why the exhibition is entitled Haiku - reffering to the short lyrical genre capturing the instantaneous, regardless of its everyday nature. The elusiveness and singularity of various moments described in haiku is to a certain degree, one of the layers that are at work in Semecká’s pieces. One only needs to take a closer look to notice infinite small details, various airflows and water currents captured within Semecká's pieces, one enters inside the texture and structured layers of their surface.

Aesthetics of Contrast: Zuzana Kubelková’s exhibition at Galerie Kuzebauch

Sun, 29 Mar 2020 22:00:00 GMT

Solid and dominating shapes or mysterious cloths, always as if about to move. The artist Zuzana Kubelková works with these and many other contrasts in her latest exhibition Heads ’n Tails at Galerie Kuzebauch. Kubelková, who was born in 1987, was awarded the prestigious YOUNG GLASS Ebeltoft Award of 2017. The works showcased at Galerie Kuzebauch work with this event, further proving Kubelková’s craftsmanship.

No cracks in the highest glass ceiling

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 22:00:00 GMT

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) is a public technology university located in the Dutch city of Delft - the birthplace of 17th century painter Jan Vermeer. The university has developed a new cast glass known as “Re3 Glass”, designed to be “Recyclable, Reducible and Reusable”. The glass blocks are intended to serve as load-bearing building materials, and can be utilised in partitions, facades, columns, and even as furniture components. Re3 Glass was developed by Faidra Oikonomopoulou and Telesilla Bristogianni of the university’s Architecture and the Built Environment, and Civil Engineering and Geosciences faculties. Their aim is to produce glass building materials exceeding existing load and stress limits for architectural flat glass.

Designer Basse Stittgen – squeezing blood into stone

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 22:00:00 GMT

A bowl made from animal blood can serve to foster a positive sense in users of supporting the processing of waste products from abattoirs. Albeit, resistance to using such a bowl as a utensil for one’s peanuts is understandable. But such mysterious dark blood-red bowls offer many layers of meaning, far exceeding their mere potential practical function. After all, their creation was preceded by the slaughter of animals, and numerous experiments carried out by designer Basse Stittgen.

Glass artist Vladimíra Klumpar: Glass enabled me to have a beautiful, nomadic life

Tue, 15 Oct 2019 22:00:00 GMT

“Glass offers many secrets to unlock. You experiment, learn something new, and constantly educate yourself. But you can never be overconfident about what you know - about glass, or new cultures,” says glass artist Vladimíra Klumpar, whose sculptures offer a journey filled with absorbing global influences. Born in eastern Bohemia, Klumpar has spent a significant part of her professional life abroad.

Czech designer Marie Nina Václavková: My shoes can be repaired, but I want them to also be recyclable

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Shoes are a passion for Czech designer Marie Nina Václavková. In terms of ergonomics, as well adopting environmentally-friendly practices, shoes are perhaps the most problematic area of the clothing industry. “It is a small piece of architecture, a sculpture around the feet with very strict rules,” explains Václavková. The Czech designer prefers to try out her prototype designs on herself - in size 36.

Flooring with Generosity - René Caran and the Workman Parquet organisation carrying out voluntary restoration activities across Europe

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Arranging a meeting with René Caran is far from easy. As a result of his RENSPOL floor studio situated in the western Bohemian town of Karlovy Vary, Caran is often on the road installing floor parquets - both modern and traditional. Sometimes he works for pleasure - as part of efforts to prevent the decline of old-fashioned parquet flooring traditions.

Dr. Petr Holman (1951-2019)

Sun, 18 Aug 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Czech literary historian Dr. Petr Holman passed away on Sunday August 4, 2019 at the age of 68. Asides from literary history, Holman was also an author, editor, teacher, Czech language and literature expert lecturing at universities in the US and India, India expert, musician, traveller, fan of Japanese ceramics, and a lover of teas and pipes.

The Liederhaus glassmaking family has invented a mobile glass furnace – and one, located in Prague’s Ateliér Z glass studio, is now open to the public

Sun, 28 Jul 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Both the general public and glass professionals are able to make use of the capacities of a new mobile glass furnace currently installed in a glass studio in Prague’s Letná district. Such a facility represents a first for the Czech capital.

A gourmet oasis in the heart of Tbilisi – food, wine and even local fashion

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 22:00:00 GMT

It’s a meeting spot for an in-crowd of people wearing chic clothing and accompanied by pampered pooches. Amidst towering trees, Wine Factory N1 offers shade, global gastro dining, local Khachapuri cheese-filled bread, and a range of exquisite wines from the cellars of Georgia’s finest winemakers.

Seeing across five axes – Jan Frydrych’s “Opticality” exhibition

Tue, 02 Jul 2019 22:00:00 GMT

Glass artist Jan Frydrych said the most important things right up front during our brief meeting. Prior to the start of an exhibition of his works, and standing amidst a number of installed sculptures, Frydrych observed: “It is seeing across five axes.” These days, modern technologies and appliances can boast of 3D vision and modelling capabilities. But this is far from sufficient for an artist like Frydrych. “Opticality” (Optikalita), showcasing the works of Jan Frydrych, is the first ever exhibition of optical glass art organised by Galerie Kuzebauch. The event runs until July 12, 2019.

Meet Juan Fernando Hidalgo Cordero, a researcher devoting his energies to unlocking the potential of the totora plant

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 22:00:00 GMT

The totora plant is a reed similar to the reedmace (aka bulrush) and grows in the Americas from California to Tierra del Fuego. Juan Fernando Hidalgo Cordero is an Ecuadorian architect, designer and researcher who has devoted considerable energies toward utilising this plant in contemporary architecture and design. “The totora plant could revolutionise sustainable production,” he argues.

Sculpting in Glass: the Kuzebauch Gallery will make an appearance at Révélations fair in Paris

Sat, 11 May 2019 22:00:00 GMT

For the third time, the Kuzebauch Gallery exhibits at Révélations fair in Paris (23/5 - 26/5 2019), this time with its exhibition Sculpting in Glass. The idea behind the curator’s pick - four artists born between 1970 and 1980 - is to draw attention to the current trends in glassmaking towards experimentation and challenging the boundaries. Martin Janecký, Anna Polanská, Josef Divín and Ondřej Strnadel have one thing in common - their approach to glass primarily involves sculpting their material of choice.

Czech Glass rituals presented at Saatchi Gallery

Mon, 18 Feb 2019 22:00:00 GMT

During Collect 2019 - the International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design in London, Prague based Galerie Kuzebauch will showcase four distinctive Czech glass artists and their works in the Glass Rituals exhibition. The choice of designers and their intergenerational dialogue aims to show the diversity with which glassmakers approach their creations.

Czech Glass – Sylva Petrová on why the time was right to update and expand her groundbreaking book

Sat, 26 Jan 2019 22:00:00 GMT

“Everything is wide open in the world of art. We mustn’t rule anything out. The point is to push against existing limitations. It’s a constant search for new paths and new methodologies to express our present day circumstances,” says Sylva Petrová, a top expert in the field of art glass. Seventeen years after its initial publication, her major book České sklo (Czech Glass) is being reissued in updated and expanded Czech and English-language editions. Within its more than four-hundred pages, Petrová demonstrates how Czech art in glass has evolved over the decades. “It is really a book about the work of specific artists...” explains the author.

A new material is born – Janštejn glassworks is melting down and repurposing leftover production waste into a new material called BROKISGLASS

Tue, 15 Jan 2019 22:00:00 GMT

The Janštejn glassworks (Sklárna Janštejn), situated in the Czech Republic’s Vysočina region, has found an effective solution to the problem of utilising its production-generated waste. The result is a new line of multicoloured glass “slabs” which offer a variety of uses in the fields of design and architecture. Such efforts serve as a notable example of how Czech companies are approaching waste as a source of new viable materials.

Murano opens up its legendary glassworks to the world

Tue, 30 Oct 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Centuries ago, sea vessels loaded with the raw materials for glass production sailed into Murano. Ships departing these islands in Northern Italy were then loaded with cargos of precious glassware. Much mystery and mysticism has surrounded the production processes and artistry of Murano’s glassmakers.

Glass artist Zuzana Kubelková, Sui generis

Tue, 16 Oct 2018 22:00:00 GMT

“Everything has its limits,” says glass artist Zuzana Kubelková. Her Sui generis series of glass art objects demonstrates how industrially produced fire-resistant textiles can be melted down and turned into fragile artworks.

Petra Gupta Valentová – fashioning the patterns of success and sustainability

Mon, 10 Sep 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Petra Gupta Valentová is a Czech artist currently living in New York. Her doctoral thesis at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (UMPRUM) is primarily being undertaken in India, the home of her husband. Valentová has succumbed to the attractions of Indian woodblock printing, and is also interested in the ethics of fashion and the phenomenon of so-called “slow fashion”. “It annoys me when someone purchases handprinted blue-print (indigo) fabrics, designs a collection, wins a prize for it, and that is the end of it,” says Valentová. “I believe in so-called co-design principles.”

Elodie Ternaux: Gazing into a crystal ball of future materials

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 22:00:00 GMT

I am often asked about what kind of materials we will be using in the more distant future - the world “after tomorrow”. The go-to answer in such cases is to speculate on the various technologically advanced materials which mankind might one day be able to create. But for the purposes of a recent lecture, I instead tried to play a game of “what if...?”, devising nine potential scenarios for how our overall relationship with materials may evolve many years from now.

Glass artist Anna Polanská on the tectonics of internal architecture

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 22:00:00 GMT

The Tektonika (Tectonics) exhibition in Prague’s Galerie Kuzebauch (01.06.2018 - 22.07.2018) presents new works by Czech glass artist Anna Polanská. These works form part of a natural lineage with the artist’s previous creations.

Martin Janecký - a glass art virtuoso

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

“It’s hot, and people shouldn’t touch it,” warns glass artist maestro Martin Janecký. His works demonstrate an astonishing ability to shape molten glass into aesthetically pleasing forms. For Janecký, extreme concentration is key. Special tools are used, including a blowtorch and wet newspapers. The artist’s glass takes on human form, with the molten mass revealing precise details such as human earlobes. And the response from the public has been highly favourable. “I do things that fascinate me, and try to given them a distinct look,” notes Janecký.

Zuzana Gombošová fed coconut water to bacteria, and developed the unique material Malai

Tue, 24 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

They fed coconut water to a particular kind of bacteria. And then they added plant matter into the resulting slimy goo. The end result was a kind of leather material of appeal to vegans, the environmentally conscious, and perhaps even regular consumers.

Barbora Vaníčková: I am a seamstress, but trust me, I am not stupid

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Knock, knock, knock… someone is gently knocking on the door while I am trying to remember why, why exactly did I turn my life upside down, dropped a promising journalism career and became a seamstress? And, on top of that, in Canada!

Mandy Den Elzen – never too much to stomach

Tue, 10 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Abattoirs and fish markets are the source of raw materials for Dutch artist Mandy Den Elzen. Stomachs, gills and digestive systems are washed, desiccated and presented to the public as gallery exhibits. Her aim is to present the inherent beauty of the natural world.

Czech artist Ondřej Strnadel honoured in Munich

Mon, 12 Mar 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Czech designer and glass art maestro Ondřej Strnadel has been honoured in Munich for a series of matte hand-blown objects. On Sunday, 11 March, at the 2018 Handwerk Messe international trade fair, Strnadel picked up the Bavarian State Prize. The jury, evaluating entrants in the MEISTER DER MODERNE competition, specifically applauded the artist’s abilities to blaze new ground in the traditional field of glassmaking.

Linda Kaplanová on the sea of opportunities available to today’s Czech textile designers

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 22:00:00 GMT

Even the very term “textile designer” sounds a little old-fashioned these days. But every once in a while someone comes along who hopes to kick-up the proverbial dust which has settled on the long-established textile industry. Czech textile design is something of a niche, even at home.

Step out of your basements, workshops, labs and hackerspaces! Prague is set to host a major showcase of DIY tech talent

Wed, 21 Feb 2018 22:00:00 GMT

“Maker Faire is the largest global showcase of innovation, creativity and inventiveness,” say the event’s organisers. And this year, over the June 23-24 weekend, Prague is set to host this major event at the Industrial Palace (Průmyslový palác) in the capital’s historical Výstaviště exhibition grounds. DIY enthusiasts of all ages are welcome, and anyone with something of interest to showcase will be able to present their innovations free of charge at the Palace.

Adventures in uncertainty: glass artist Zuzana Kubelková

Wed, 29 Nov 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Zuzana Kubelková is far more than just a gifted glass artist. Her talents also span related fields such as painting, drawing, jewellery, stained-glass and design. And the end works reflect not just Kubelková’s inventiveness, craftsmanship, creativity, and dexterity, but also her constant search for new avenues of artistic expression.

Plastic People – Czechs develop new shopping solution utilising capsules instead of single-use packaging

Wed, 25 Oct 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Plastics have become a critical material for modern societies - and yet, we still lack the ability to utilise them in a way that ensures proper disposability and biodegradability. But now a Czech company is making waves around the world via its original MIWA solution. A team headed by Petr Báča has developed reusable transportation “capsules”, along with a system for their use which significantly cuts down on the production of waste.

Shooting Upwards – archer and bow-maker Tomáš Hanuš

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 22:00:00 GMT

He walks through the forest holding a self-made bow in his hands. He concentrates and takes aim. “The only thing you can really rely on is your own head,” says the archer. For Hanuš, the bow has become both a form of fulfilment and a life mission. His work is generating interest across the globe. As an archer, he has been successful at European and world tournaments for years. And this year, Hanuš was crowned both European and world champion.

Selfie on Facebook but no Birth Certificate

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 22:00:00 GMT

First there go the theatres and cinemas, then supermarkets, schools and finally even paved roads and power lines. Public facilities are becoming scarcer - we are distancing ourselves from Vietnamese cities that in terms of lifestyle and living standards resemble the Western world as we know it.

Glassmaker Zuzana Kubelková cooks up international success in her magic pot

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Announced once every ten years by the Glass Museum in Ebeltoft, YOUNG GLASS 2017 is a prestigious competition with international attendance. This year four Czechs, two men and two women, were among the finalists - Tadeáš Podracký, Pavel Skrott, Zdeňka Fusková and Zuzana Kubelková. What brought Zuzana Kubelková to Denmark was her work My Chemical Romance, winning her the grand prize in the competition - in addition to a monetary prize, she will also have a solo exhibition in the Danish port town of Ebeltoft in two years’ time.

Rammed earth – the amazing clay architecture of Martin Rauch

Tue, 11 Jul 2017 22:00:00 GMT

"Rammed earth has the potential to become a fully viable alternative to existing building materials and technologies, which place great demands on resources and require costly transportation,” says an enthusiastic Martin Rauch. Top architectural studios are already vying with each other to co-operate with the Austrian earth maestro. Rauch’s finished works excel both in terms of aesthetic and technological advancement. An exhibition of his works entitled “Refined Earth” (Formovat zemi) is currently underway in the House of Art, České Budějovice in Southern Bohemia.

Leyla Kyjánek Yunis: Designing an algorithm equals designing a building?

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 22:00:00 GMT

“What is your contribution?” - that was the most common question asked of students studying the Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research (ITECH) Master’s Program at the University of Stuttgart following our thesis presentations. A common trend existed of students proposing less-than-comprehensible thesis projects, as the majority of the work would be undertaken by writing code, or a pseudo-code, rather than designing a building or architectural rendering.

Devils Towers and even a chameleon’s collar. Galerie Kuzebauch is exhibiting new works by Klára Horáčková

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 22:00:00 GMT

The core concept, evolution, and the final process by which glass artist Klára Horáčková creates and realises her works, is the subject of an exhibition at Galerie Kuzebauch entitled “Evolution”. In essence, such time-consuming processes appear safer than the risk of chaotic revolutionary eruptions in which the outlines of a future work spontaneously emerge on the surface, and the mind and hands of an artist are controlled by creative intuition.

Elodie Ternaux: Let go

Tue, 30 May 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Want to be a good citizen? Do the right thing? Be able to look your children in the eyes? Be certain your peers won’t judge you with disdain? These days, that means you need to become environmentally friendly! And when you are part of a creative team, whether as a product designer, architect, or a materials engineer, your responsibilities are greater than those of «regular» consumers. Indeed, creative professionals get to plan, decide, and order «products» in sufficient quantities so that each choice has a sizable impact. In the face of increasing public demand for a fairer and more considerate society, you, the «creatives», are expected to become green wizards!

Molten adrenalin

Mon, 01 May 2017 22:00:00 GMT

“The irreplaceable realm of the artist’s drawing, or the maestro’s proficiency in craft, serve to evoke all those places which hitherto remain the spiritual frontiers of Man, and which machines are unable to probe,” says Czech glass artist and maestro Ondřej Strnadel.

Walking through glass by Ivan Neumann

Tue, 28 Feb 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Petr Stanický is head of the Glass Design studio at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín. Even though an exhibition of his works entitled “Skloprostor” (Glass Space) ran in Prague’s Galerie Kuzebauch in Prague’s Břevnov, it would be inaccurate to imagine the artist sweating in front of a red-hot glass furnace - even though individual glass sculptures also form part of this multifaceted artist’s repertoire.

Kristýna Jaklová: Suss-stainable!

Wed, 22 Feb 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Products keep getting better - they’re faster, smaller, and more colourful, but they also have shorter life-spans. Consumption is on the up, and store shelves are brimming with all kinds of goods. With so much to choose from, it’s hard to exercise restraint. Are there any limits? Who, or what, can check this state of affairs? And is it up to consumers, companies, or should Mother Earth shoulder the burden?

Ondřej Strnadel: Glass and shape to speak common language

Fri, 20 Jan 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Glass exhibited by Ondřej Strnadel at the Klid Neklidu exhibition held at the Kuzebauch Gallery at the end of 2016 may have a myriad of interpretations and many reasons for being. It seems that the variety is a result of the author´s journey against the flow of time.

I´m into manual work.
The world of Lada Semecká

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 22:00:00 GMT

Whatever you concentrate on will grow under your hands. “My mind is a filter, that´s where my decisions come from,“ says Lada Semecká. Her thought and her talent help her create art through which she describes, in the most subtle way possible, „the everyday reality“. Is there anything more subtle than the long thin legs of an aquatic bug called hydrometra, moon rays, or sounds of cranes on rice fields? We made this interview at the occasion of Lada Semecká´s exhibition called Introverze/Introversion at the Kuzebauch Gallery (2016).

A piece of well-lit glass is always beautiful, and that is its main problem, says Riikka Latva-Somppi

Wed, 21 Dec 2016 22:00:00 GMT

... and adds: "Getting a message out of it is the biggest challenge of glass-making." Riikka Latva-Somppi is a Finnish glass-maker and sculptor. This autumn, an exhibition in Prague’s Kuzebauch gallery showcased the her recent work. It tells the story of the fragility of the human body and small everyday delights we should enjoy. We began by talking about her recent fourth place at the national championships in horseback archery. The breadth of her activities makes her an embodiment of the idiom „Have more strings to your bow."

Sylva Petrová: SKLOVOTVAR (Glasshape) – an excursion to the home of the glass sculpture, the “glass-shaping land”

Tue, 13 Dec 2016 22:00:00 GMT

As we´ve gathered from the text accompanying the exhibition, the exhibition´s curator was PhDr. Dominik Hrodek, a renowned art historian, journalist, university teacher, and media consultant. As he used to contribute to Glassrevue, he is by no means new to glass. Obviously, Dominik Hrodek is also the one who proposed the somewhat bizarre title of the exhibition - "Sklovotvar (Glasshape)".

DESIGNBLOK – what a stool made from salt would say to a silk lampshade and a bag made from organic plastic?

Sun, 30 Oct 2016 22:00:00 GMT

All six projects of the Dutch and Czech designers target contemporary issues. The designers experiment with materials seeking solutions to the most burning issues of the today´s world. Eric Geboers is working on a concept of salt cities - in Prague he will exhibit a stool, a part of his Salt Pup project. The Czech project called Frusack reacted to the huge number of single-use plastic bags people trash every day and now offers an alternative in the form of bags made from PLA.

People hate using single-use plastic bags. Bio degradable plastic bags by Infiberry, a Czech start-up, may be the right solution

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 22:00:00 GMT

“Is there really no alternative to the commonly used plastic bags?” Hana Němcová and Tereza Dvořáková, two medical students from the Czech Republic, had a burning need to find an alternative approach to the single-use plastic bags. Once they failed to find a product in the market which would meet their requirements, they decided to launch a start-up called Infiberry. This summer, they introduced Frusack, a reusable colourful shopping bag made primarily from a bioplastic, polylactic acid based material known as PLA.

We need adaptive and creative cities that are not afraid to experiment

Sun, 07 Aug 2016 22:00:00 GMT

Due to current situation in Europe, many cities are being forced to accommodate more and more people every day. That is why also this year’s reSITE festival focused on the topic of Cities in migration. However, migration can also have a negative impact when people start leaving cities, as they are being left empty and often dysfunctional.

Ondřej Slówik: The Hut on Fowl’s Legs and Artificial Hips Represent a Luxury Amidst the Rice Paddies

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 22:00:00 GMT

Three years ago, I took a creaky old Chinese motorbike to do a linguistic research in the vicinity of a town called Mai Châu located in the mountainous area in northern Vietnam. Coincidentally, I ran across Mr. Minh, his wife Thơ and their family homestay situated in a traditional pillar house.

Textile experiments involving a water flea, resin, and several kilos of salt

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 22:00:00 GMT

„Are you wearing anything made of wood? I bet you that at least half you are,“ says Jitka Škopová to start her exhibition pointing out the origin of viscose threads. Lenka is the head of the Textile studio at UMPRUM. Her students are currently exhibiting results of their tour beyond the ordinary perception of textiles. They had experimented with squash, salt, resin, and concrete, drew inspiration from wood with all its irregularities, and the evolution benefits of water fleas. The Experimental Textile exhibition has been on show in the Prague´s Gallery Kuzebauch since 28th June and will end on 28th August.

Fashion Designer Mai Trần: Vietnam is a Country of Sewing Machines

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 22:00:00 GMT

Startup fashion designer Mai Trần calls herself a mountain girl. She has been living in Saigon for some years now and she is steadily becoming a recognized figure of the local fashion scene. As the co-founder and co-owner of the brand SODA POP, she is very well acquainted with the environment of the Vietnamese clothing industry. She decided to share her erudition with our readers.

Houses by John Hejduk and a poem by David Shapiro in Prague in memory of Jan Palach

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 22:00:00 GMT

The Jana Palach Memorial on the Alšovo Embankment, designed by John Quentin Hejduk, was introduced to the public space on Saturday, January 16th. Hejduk, a renowned American architect and a teacher of Czech descent had built the two structures already in the 1980´s. The structures, then made from wood, were first brought to Prague in 1991 and placed to the Prague Castle Gardens. By 2000, they deteriorated and the Castle administration had them removed. The current structures are made from steel and their life should be much longer - The House of the Suicide, The House of the Mother of the Suicide and the plaque at the base of the monument displaying a poem were installed as permanent monuments.

Why do Hannah Hurtzig and Karin Harrasser talk to animals?

Sun, 10 Jan 2016 22:00:00 GMT

A charismatic German artist Hannah Hurtzig from the Mobile Academy Berlin and her admirable colleague Karin Harrasser, professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Art and Design Linz, came over to Pilsen cultural centre DEPO2015. Hurtzig organized a second part of a unique artistic experiment Why Talk to Animals within the program of European Capital of Culture 2015. Some results of the encounters of animals, people, science and film art, together with accompanying pictures can be seen at the exhibition in Goethe-Institut in Prague since January 6th.

Glass objects are leaving the exhibition, some did not survive

Sun, 03 Jan 2016 22:00:00 GMT

The Stanislav Libenský Award 2015 exhibition is now over. For two month, the Prague Gallery of Contemporary Glass exhibited, at the building of ZIBA, the Prague Glass Experience Museum, a selection of works of art schools´ graduates who featured glass in their final thesis. Their authors were carefully selected from amongst the numerous applicants and some received awards from an international jury. For those of you who did not manage to come and see the works of forty exhibitors from twenty three countries, we prepared a selection of the best exhibits.

Eliška Svobodová: Better buy him a real instrument, these are just toys

Wed, 30 Dec 2015 22:00:00 GMT

I set off to my favorite toy store. I wanted to buy a present for my nephew. This year, I knew what I was going for: he wished for a harmonica and - as the “musical aunt” - I had to support that. I aimed for the shelf full of beautiful, colorful, wooden instruments from a French company Janod, and bought a harmonica.

Designers and objects which can control human muscles

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 22:00:00 GMT

A tin, the design of which will force you to shake it before using. A dancer´s body controlled by a power source independent of her will. A navigation system which manages your steps. These and many more achievements of our civilization indicate new dimensions of coexistence of humans with technology.

Jan Lebl about Prameny, a municipality at the Czech German border, and civic activism in the rural areas

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 22:00:00 GMT

For several years, Jan Lebl, a student of architecture, has been intensely working on restoring and reviving Prameny, a location stricken by complicated past as well as present. Prameny is a small West Bohemian village in the Slavkov Forest. Before the World War II, it was a spa town inhabited by two thousand people. After the war, the population dropped dramatically and now it counts around a hundred people. Some dilapidated buildings in the village are falling apart and the post-revolutionary Council turned Prameny into one of the most heavily indebted municipalities in the country.

MIT Climate CoLab, in collaboration with Nike, launches new materials competition

Sun, 15 Nov 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Materials Matter competition, inspired by MIT research, seeks innovations that could help transform the way we view, make, and use materials.

Oakie friends from Prague forest entertaining the Internet

Sun, 08 Nov 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Several years ago, graphic designer Petr Václavek found a worthwhile autumn pastime: he makes little acorn men for the amusement of his kids and himself. The detailed figures are now becoming popular on social media.

Martin Rajniš’s Dome of Chaos built from branches and zip ties

Sun, 25 Oct 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Dome of Chaos, an experimental structure built by Professor Rajniš’s Architectural Guild, was unveiled last weekend as part of the Life Sciences Film and Street Food Festivals in the Czech Technical University’s Dejvice Campus. “Chaos is now considered an integral and welcome part of our society,” says the architect.

Czech studio glass admired, bought and copied imitated worldwide

Sun, 13 Sep 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Currently in the Czech Republic, there are four strong generations of glass artists. The Prague´s Gallery Kuzebauch prepared for the audience in Paris an exhibition under the title of STRUCTURES. In September 10 to 13, 2015, Révélations, an International Biennale of Fine Crafts and Creation, will showcase a selection of Czech studio glass art.

Thomas Sledmore: There is always a risk of your work being destroyed

Mon, 07 Sep 2015 22:00:00 GMT

During Easton Arts Trail in Bristol, the whole street was left for the graffiti artists to renovate it. This annual cultural event when artists open for two days their homes or studios to show their artwork to public is now finished. Only one wall is still empty. In front of it stands a young tall man with a sketch in his hand, which is quite unique. Thomas Sledmore is not just a street artist. For the past two years, he has been studying a fine art course at University of Western England.

How to best prepare for your career in architecture – attend a wood camp!

Sun, 06 Sep 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Wood, drills, saws and parties together with Macs and melons - welcome to the Hungarian countryside… The lucky ones who attended the Hello Wood Village summer camp know what I am talking about. We were there together.

Experimental architects employing drones or thousands of silkworms will meet in Prague

Sun, 30 Aug 2015 22:00:00 GMT

World known architects focusing on experimental architecture will meet in Prague. The Biennale of experimental architecture will open on September the 3^rdand last until October 18^th. During this time, it will offer a new perspective on the contemporary architecture, where authors are using experiment, digital technologies, new materials and knowledge form the world of science.

The future of cities:
Think small because small is the new big

Sun, 28 Jun 2015 22:00:00 GMT

What to do with a local politics you do not agree with? Can people directly improve their cities? What does it take to become a good politician? Many dysfunctional cities or frustrated citizens may ask these types of questions. However, not that many people have the courage to look for the answers. Even fewer have the courage to challenge the “professional politicians” and try to make the change themselves. Comedian and writer Jón Gnarr, musician Matěj Hollan or lawyer Peter Bročka decided that they were willing to step up, run in the elections and change the future of their cities.

Erika Čičmanová: Inspiration comes when I work with hands

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Costume designer and scenographer Erika Čičmanová can carve a marionette, cast a mask, stilt through the city, or make an extravagant costume. During high school, she learned how design clothes and sew. Then she studied textile design and scenography at the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. “For children it is natural to work with their hands. They keep exploring different materials, and what to do with them. They often use them differently than we are used to,” she says, and adds that this usually goes away with growing up, but she in fact still thinks in this way. She is a freelance scenographer and designer, working with different theatre companies. She also often creates costumes for street acrobats and dancers.

Hella Jongerius & Louise Schouwenberg:
A SEARCH FOR IDEALS IN DESIGN

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 22:00:00 GMT

We advocate an idealistic agenda in design, as we deplore the obsession with the New for the sake of the New, and regretfully see how the discipline lacks an intimate interweaving of the values that once inspired designers, as well as the producers of their ideas.

František Skála: In the organic world, each material has its own liquidator

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Kuzebauch Gallery in Břevnov, Prague, exhibits a set of miniature objects by František Skála, a famous and versatile Czech artist. At the opening in February, he sang a newly composed song in English and said in a deep voice: „I´ve been sinking to the bottom attracted to the voice of the sea gherkin to later emerge with a pearl. “ A collection of imaginary pearls and dioramas which keep an old sailor, letters never read or a legacy of four generations, will be exhibited till the end of April.

Elodie Ternaux: Tell me a story!

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Being enthusiastic about, surprised and seduced by, let's say, objects that are produced and available to me (but we could extend this assertion to architecture as well as food and a lot of other things, I guess) is becoming more and more difficult, as few of them actually express genuine quality and thoughtful design.

Quentin Hirsinger: Nothing ventured, nothing gained

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 22:00:00 GMT

One of my best memory trigger, along with the butter croissant from Lombard Avenue, is going through the carwash. This morning my Mum asked me whether I could take her car to the carwash... The bomb! I was going to be able to relive this great moment. First to drive slowly to place the car, to make sure windows are closed and then to watch the machine come to life, the brushes turning. Then the drums roll on the body, the sound of a storm crashing down on the car, this feeling of being right in the middle of a tornado, doors vibrating... I was to relish the experience!

Scientists grow mini-lungs to aid the study of cystic fibrosis

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have successfully created ‘mini-lungs’ using stem cells derived from skin cells of patients with cystic fibrosis, and have shown that these can be used to test potential new drugs for this debilitating lung disease.

Glass whisperer Tadeáš Podracký seeks the archetype

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Czech glass designer Tadeáš Podracký explores ancient vase designs and distorts and transforms Greek amphora into bizarre totemic objects. Ambiente Fair he presented a clear glass fruit box. On TalentsTuesday during the fair in Frankfurt he explained why his latest project - “Pineapples” - is an hommage to the first vases created by mankind.

Dana Siedem: Which Bird Song is Coming Out of Your Cup of Coffee?

Sun, 22 Feb 2015 22:00:00 GMT

The singing of migratory birds returning back from their winter homes announces the arrival of spring. Some of these migratory birds spend their winter in the coffee-producing tropical regions. Different methods of coffee production not only have an impact on coffee flavors, but radically affect the lives of those birds that we know from our own gardens and forests. Conscious decision-making while choosing which coffee beans to buy can change their destiny.

Lynda Hannah: People are mortal. They should not forget about it

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 22:00:00 GMT

She came out barefoot and colourful. Everything around her place was quite wild - her feet, hair, plants, animals, even the house. Englishwoman Lynda bought an old commercial kiwifruit orchard close to Motueka, New Zeland that she is now transforming into a permaculture paradise. Herbs already occupy most of the space, Lynda´s main work nowadays is medical herbalism and natural medicine - natural life, natural death. A few years ago she established the first natural funeral company in Motueka. “If I would have looked forward, in my youth, I would never have guessed to be here. But it is a very good place to be,” she says with propolis from her beehives in her hand.

Glassmaker Martin Hlubuček: I'm interested in the story of shape

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Martin Hlubuček combines glassmaking skills with art sculpture. He had successful exhibitions in Paris and Jablonec nad Nisou last year. This year, his Buoys will be, together with pieces by other five Czech glassmakers, part of the Kuzebauch Gallery's Slow! Glass! exhibition in Frankfurt. We caught up with Martin to talk about his latest experiment involving blown glass, his inspiration and his material choices.

Marcos Garcia: Dancing on the new compost toilets is very important

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Marcos Garcia is a man of many skills and professions. An eco tour guide, Spanish and English teacher, salsa dancer, expert on Costa Rica’s birds and animals, builder and a farmer. He finds use for all these activities at a small farm called Finca Siempre Verde (Always Green Farm) located in a small village called Mastatal in Costa Rica. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at this wonderful place as a volunteer at his new lodge that was finished only few months ago.

Quentin Hirsinger from materiO Paris: Where is Charlie?

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 22:00:00 GMT

Before January 7^th, I had faith. I believed in rock'n'roll, in democracy, in equal rights between mankind, in the promise of a Belgian waffle at the end of the day, on the terrace of our new showroom. Above all, I believed freedom of speech was assured in France, that blasphemy was an ancient notion, I believed irreverence was salutary in an imperfect - yet full of certainties - world, I believed humour to be a formidable weapon against all human stupidities. But on January 7^th, I did not have the heart to eat a waffle anymore, I still believed in rock'n'roll but not in much more else, everything had become quite blurry.

Michèle Akers: About life in a stone house surrounded by a herd of horses

Sun, 04 Jan 2015 22:00:00 GMT

High up over a little village called Clamensane, located in Provence Alpes, there is an old magical stone house covered by colourful leaves. In it, a remarkable lady lives on her own with thirteen horses. This is not the beginning of a fairy-tale… Michèle Akers is real, very real. She has much bigger hands than me despite being smaller overall. What are these hands capable of? Building. Reconstructing. Training horses. Healing horses. Healing people. Helping. Playing music. Seizing every opportunity to enjoy life.

Designer Jakub Berdych: One day, a plastic bucket can be endangered too

Sun, 28 Dec 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Design, as any other creative activity, generates products which, if great, tend to be smarter than their creator. Such masterpieces live in their own space - a kind of spiritual world of its own - which exists independently in many other circumstances the author can neither influence nor predict. The less creative objects tend to be almost invisible. Some pieces of art are so useless, that one would fail to even notice them, but some others are so full of energy that their charge threatens to make them blast and turn them into fireworks which can lit galaxies in the space.

Jaroslav Bejvl Jr.: Light in lamps to mutate

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Jaroslav Bejvl jr., a glass-artist and a chief designer of Preciosa Lighting says: “People must have a chance to work with light more precisely.“ It is one of the reasons for Preciosa to start building a light lab right next to it factory in Northern Bohemia. Jaroslav Bejvl is now working on new lights which derive from old forms. Lights shine through the walls of his objects like an intruder.

Glassmaker Martin Janecký: I'm no tree-hugger, I work instead

Sun, 16 Nov 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Martin Janecký, a Czech-born and world-renowned sculptor and glassmaker, has developed glass forming techniques into a unique glass sculpting process. He graduated from the Glassmaking school in Nový Bor and has been mostly working abroad, especially in the US, since his artistic debut. He creates unique animal and human figures right by the glass kiln. "I do things which fascinate me," says Janecký with a smile.

Ondřej Strandel: In the hot shop, you are never alone

Mon, 26 May 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Bowls and other objects by Ondřej Strnadel, a Czech glassmaker, may at first look as if just landed from the space. Just the opposite is true - they are well rooted here, on planet Earth. The same is true for their author, who was born and raised in Valašské Meziříčí, where he trained to become a glassmaker. He takes after his father, who was a glassmaker, too. Ondřej Strnadel is now passing his knowledge further as a teacher or future glassmakers. His exhibition at Kuzebach Gallery in Prague in spring 2014 was called Ta realita (The reality).

Zdeněk Lhotský´s new mass and unique honeycombs

Sat, 10 May 2014 22:00:00 GMT

Vitrucell - a technology or art? In Vitrucell, art and technology combine in a new glass mass typical for its numerous applications. Do you wish to enliven your living space or its exterior with thousands of colours with an accent of an original pattern inside the glass surface? Are you a designer or an artist looking for a new and inspiring material with unique properties? The answer is easy - go for vitrucell - an original glass with octagonal structure which is neither drawn nor cut or otherwise mechanically carved, but produced exclusively with the help of various physical and chemical processes. It took Zdeněk Lhotský, a Czech glassmaker, and his Melted Glass Studio twenty years to develop this unique technology, the only one of its kind worldwide.

www.materialtimes.com

What does 3D printing bring to crisis areas? "People like to use their knowledge for a good cause," says Silvestr Tkáč

UNDERGROUND GARDENS AS A COOL HAVEN

Biologist with an artistic soul: From microscopes to fashion

FICTION FACTORY: Creating fiction or the future?

Body heat to electricity. How this invention could make us more aware of climate change

Future Materials Budapest: Biodesign can treat nature as an obstacle

Creative sustainability. Zünc Studio helps brands that face the future responsibly

TEXTILE TRACEABILITY: CAN NEW TECHNOLOGY ALLOW US TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS?

LEMBERK GRANARY UNVEILS 2023 EVENT PROGRAMME

PINEAPPLE-BASED MATERIAL RIVALS ANIMAL LEATHER

BlueCity: The circular economy in a tropical swimming pool

HYPERLOCAL: MATERIALS AND THOUGHTS FROM A CRATER

Kistefos – Scandinavian Experience

BAROQUE GRANARY AT LEMBERK OPENS FOR ITS FIRST SEASON WITH EDUCATIONAL EXHIBITION FOR THE PUBLIC

The future begins with the stone age

The future begins with the stone age

The future begins with the stone age

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

DUNGSE, Building the future with SHIT

Frozen in Time: Alena Matějka’s Cabinet of Curiosities

Small Steps Towards the Finish Line: Lada Semecká's Haiku in Galerie Kuzebauch

Aesthetics of Contrast: Zuzana Kubelková’s exhibition at Galerie Kuzebauch

No cracks in the highest glass ceiling

Designer Basse Stittgen – squeezing blood into stone

Glass artist Vladimíra Klumpar: Glass enabled me to have a beautiful, nomadic life

Czech designer Marie Nina Václavková: My shoes can be repaired, but I want them to also be recyclable

Flooring with Generosity - René Caran and the Workman Parquet organisation carrying out voluntary restoration activities across Europe

Dr. Petr Holman (1951-2019)

The Liederhaus glassmaking family has invented a mobile glass furnace – and one, located in Prague’s Ateliér Z glass studio, is now open to the public

A gourmet oasis in the heart of Tbilisi – food, wine and even local fashion

Seeing across five axes – Jan Frydrych’s “Opticality” exhibition

Meet Juan Fernando Hidalgo Cordero, a researcher devoting his energies to unlocking the potential of the totora plant

Sculpting in Glass: the Kuzebauch Gallery will make an appearance at Révélations fair in Paris

Czech Glass rituals presented at Saatchi Gallery

Czech Glass – Sylva Petrová on why the time was right to update and expand her groundbreaking book

A new material is born – Janštejn glassworks is melting down and repurposing leftover production waste into a new material called BROKISGLASS

Murano opens up its legendary glassworks to the world

Glass artist Zuzana Kubelková, Sui generis

Petra Gupta Valentová – fashioning the patterns of success and sustainability

Elodie Ternaux: Gazing into a crystal ball of future materials

Glass artist Anna Polanská on the tectonics of internal architecture

Martin Janecký - a glass art virtuoso

Zuzana Gombošová fed coconut water to bacteria, and developed the unique material Malai

Barbora Vaníčková: I am a seamstress, but trust me, I am not stupid

Mandy Den Elzen – never too much to stomach

Czech artist Ondřej Strnadel honoured in Munich

Linda Kaplanová on the sea of opportunities available to today’s Czech textile designers

Step out of your basements, workshops, labs and hackerspaces! Prague is set to host a major showcase of DIY tech talent

Adventures in uncertainty: glass artist Zuzana Kubelková

Plastic People – Czechs develop new shopping solution utilising capsules instead of single-use packaging

Shooting Upwards – archer and bow-maker Tomáš Hanuš

Selfie on Facebook but no Birth Certificate

Glassmaker Zuzana Kubelková cooks up international success in her magic pot

Rammed earth – the amazing clay architecture of Martin Rauch

Leyla Kyjánek Yunis: Designing an algorithm equals designing a building?

Devils Towers and even a chameleon’s collar. Galerie Kuzebauch is exhibiting new works by Klára Horáčková

Elodie Ternaux: Let go

Molten adrenalin

Walking through glass by Ivan Neumann

Kristýna Jaklová: Suss-stainable!

Ondřej Strnadel: Glass and shape to speak common language

I´m into manual work.The world of Lada Semecká

A piece of well-lit glass is always beautiful, and that is its main problem, says Riikka Latva-Somppi

Sylva Petrová: SKLOVOTVAR (Glasshape) – an excursion to the home of the glass sculpture, the “glass-shaping land”

DESIGNBLOK – what a stool made from salt would say to a silk lampshade and a bag made from organic plastic?

People hate using single-use plastic bags. Bio degradable plastic bags by Infiberry, a Czech start-up, may be the right solution

We need adaptive and creative cities that are not afraid to experiment

Ondřej Slówik: The Hut on Fowl’s Legs and Artificial Hips Represent a Luxury Amidst the Rice Paddies

Textile experiments involving a water flea, resin, and several kilos of salt

Fashion Designer Mai Trần: Vietnam is a Country of Sewing Machines

Houses by John Hejduk and a poem by David Shapiro in Prague in memory of Jan Palach

Why do Hannah Hurtzig and Karin Harrasser talk to animals?

Glass objects are leaving the exhibition, some did not survive

Eliška Svobodová: Better buy him a real instrument, these are just toys

Designers and objects which can control human muscles

Jan Lebl about Prameny, a municipality at the Czech German border, and civic activism in the rural areas

MIT Climate CoLab, in collaboration with Nike, launches new materials competition

I´m into manual work.
The world of Lada Semecká

The future of cities:
Think small because small is the new big

Hella Jongerius & Louise Schouwenberg:
A SEARCH FOR IDEALS IN DESIGN