A new exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art wants us to rethink the way we look at something all around us: glass.
“These are not decorations,” said Kathleen Goncherov, curator of contemporary art. “A lot of this work is very political. These pieces tell stories.”
She points to an elaborate, floor-ceiling chandelier by Chinese artist Song Dong.
“This is a take on a traditional Venetian chandelier, except it has surveillance cameras on it,” said Goncherov. “It’s called “Glass Big Brother.”
The story Lebanese-Canadian artist Marya Kazoun tells is less clear-cut. Kazoun incorporates hundreds of glass bubbles into her performance art installation. They are hanging on strings from the ceiling - floating over the jagged, white plaster mountains. And they’re being inadvertently clinked together by two yeti-looking creatures.
“They’re Momoths,” said Kazoun. “They’re my own creation… a giant moth creature. They are looking for their breakfast in the mountains.”
Kazun’s piece is entitled Habitat: Where He Came From.
“Working with glass is like working with water,” said Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen. “It’s always escaping. You have to let the glass live.”
The 42 Glasstress works were created by 33 artists at the Berengo Studio in Murano, Italy. This is the first time the exhibit has been been produced in the U.S.
Glasstress Boca Raton runs through July 2nd at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
