Interview: Experience glass art up close at the special show

The special show glass art showcases extraordinary artworks and objects and is among the highlights of glasstec – in cooperation with the Association of Glass Artists of North Rhine-Westphalia (Glaskünstlervereinigung NRW), Germany. We spoke to Heide Kemper, a board member at “Glaskünstlervereinigung NRW”, about the exhibition staged at the forthcoming trade fair in October – and about how “glass art” came into being at glasstec.

“Glaskünstlervereinigung Nordrhein-Westfalen” is an association of just over 30 members and an alliance of art workers who work with the material that is glass – with a view to presenting the diversity of glass art in the field of visual arts, supporting each other and networking. This is achieved even better since the association has featured with “glass art” at glasstec as the major international platform of the glass industry.

Heide Kemper is a board member and has been self-employed in the fields of visual arts and glass design in architecture and has run workshops for over 30 years – a triad of professions that enabling her to fully integrate glass art into her life and make a living from it.

Ms Kemper, please tell us how the glass artists’ association NRW came to exhibit at glasstec.

Heide Kemper: “We established our association in 1999 and it used to be headquartered in Düsseldorf. So it made sense to forge links with the trade fair company – and successfully so, as you see.
I got to know the artists’ association when they exhibited in Hall 9 for the first time, and I was so inspired by their works that I joined up. glasstec quickly realised the potential of the exhibition providing the association of glass artists with a representative exhibition stand. A good alliance that is mutually beneficial.”

Glass is a fascinating material. What makes the glass art exhibition – the way it stands today – so special?

Heide Kemper: “All artists have different reasons for making art. And this gives rise to many artistic facets. In glass art we all work with the same material but each have our own artistic style. This is reflected in the wide variety of different artworks – and this is precisely what makes it so intriguing for visitors.

When artists try to express their intentions and can’t quite capture their project in technical terms yet, they become researchers – until they have found a solution for the realisation of their project. And we see time and again how our ‘research results’ amaze the guests at our stand.

Let me add something else too: our stand – compared to the rest of the trade fair – is truly a place of calm. Of calm, inspiration and exchange in tranquillity. For visitors a short moment to pause – to then carry on re-invigorated.”

Can you already reveal anything regarding glasstec 2024? What are visitors of “glass art” in for?

Heide Kemper: “First and foremost, we will be – as always – showing our most beautiful works by around 20 artists at ‘glass art’. In addition, we have invited guests. Students from the IKKG, “Institut für Künstlerische Keramik und Glas” (Institute for Artistic Ceramics and Glass) will present themselves. The students’ experimental works will provide an inspiring insight into the material that is glass.

Furthermore, visitors to our stand will also be able to view the film we produced PASSION, which captures snap shots of workshop situations.

New in 2024: We will use part of the exhibition space to display sketches, studies and models of our works to provide an insight into how our art evolves. After all: artworks like this don’t come about ‘just like that’. In addition, there will be a large wall featuring many pictures and objects presented in a Petersburg hanging.”

To conclude: If you were to describe glass in three words – what would they be?

Heide Kemper: “I would need ten words, would that also be ok? But if I were to focus on three those would be: exciting, varied and challenging.”

Thank you very much for the interesting insights, Ms Kemper!