Tadeas Podracky

RISEN FROM THE ASHES
Tadeas Podracky

The glassmaking craft was historically built on closed, self-sufficient communities that drew on family ties and were directly dependent on the region and its resources. This idea of a community craft has now lost importance and closeness is no longer relevant in the manufacturing process of glass: raw materials are sourced to fit the production's quality and price, and the products are rarely meant for a local market. The alienation of the glass craft brings Podracky to a fantastical scenario: what if glass artefacts were not made by the hands of artisans but “grow” from sand and ashes. Podracky’s project blends imagination, craft and technology.

The sculptural chandelier combines glass with wood - an indispensable resource in the manufacturing of glass. The central body is made of charred wood, blackened by fire. The shapes that connect the glass elements were created with the help of robotic machine that processed the hand gestures of the designer. Handcraft and digital fabrication are used in combination and in equal measures. They simulate growth as a natural process and it is as if the glass was sprouting from the ashes of the black chandelier.