At the age of 96, the legend of Czech glass art Václav Cigler, whose works decorate not only the Prague metro, but also important cultural buildings in Slovakia and abroad, has passed away.
Czech sculptor, visual artist and educator Václav Cigler died at the age of 96. He belonged to the most prominent figures of Czech glass art. TASR informs about this according to Saturday’s report of the web portal iDNES.cz.
In short:
- The exceptional sculptor Václav Cigler died at the age of 96
- He was the founder of the conceptual use of glass in art
- His works are also known from public spaces, such as the subway
Cigler was the founder of the conceptual perception of glass as an art object and made his mark in the history of world art by being the first to start working with optical glass. People can meet his work in various places in public space, for example in the Prague metro.
Beginnings and education
Cigler was born on April 21, 1929 in Vsetín, and after graduating from grammar school, he studied at the Glass Industry School in Novi Bor and at the Academy of Arts and Crafts in Prague under Josef Kaplický. In the mid-1960s, he founded a studio called Department of Glass in Architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bratislava, which he also led.
In his work, he focused on plastic objects made of ground optical glass, designs and realizations of light structures and jewelry, drawings, landscape projects and compositions for architecture. During his long career, he influenced the character of Czech and Slovak art glass for several generations.
Magic material glass
“Glass is a magical and, in a sense, spiritual material. For me, the optical properties of glass are creative and aesthetic means, with the help of which I can present the viewer with a world made special by new forms of shape, light and color,” said Cigler, who was awarded for his work at home and abroad.
In March 2018, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Czech Design, a year later he received the State Award from the Czech Minister of Culture for his lifetime artistic work and pedagogical activity.
Works in public space
Cigler’s works are represented in many Czech and international galleries. According to his designs, the interiors of the Prague metro stations, lighting systems and lighting fixtures in Bratislava’s Slovak National Theater and the House of Culture in Banská Bystrica were also created. He also took part in the current form of Sova mills in Prague. His creations also include a column called the Tricolor, which was unveiled in Litomyšl on the centenary of the founding of Czechoslovakia.
