Åbning af Biennalen

Bornholm and the fourth edition of European Glass Context welcome you to Bornholm Biennials for contemporary European glass and ceramics!

Bornholm is proud to be an international melting pot for contemporary glass design and art. With European Glass Context, the Royal Academy’s course in glass and ceramic craft in Nexø, and a number of workshops, companies, and dedicated artists scattered around the island, glass art, craft and design play an important role in the island’s cultural life and for its regional identity. A strong active craft art environment is now one of Bornholm’s hallmarks.

The glass communities in Denmark and especially on Bornholm can proud itself with an old and strong community of glassmakers dating as far back as the early eighties. Their strong network and willingness to share knowledge and cooperate has, along with Bornholms strong ceramic tradition, created the foundation for The Islands title of World Craft Region. Although the studioglas movement formed part of the early experience economy the glassmakers have always worked persistently and seriously wich their material and hereby maintained high levels of artistic innovation and craftsmanship.

Bornholm was and still is the “go to” place for education and work experience and this fact has created an international environment both for student and young glass artists. This old and strong community of bornholmian Designer / Makers weaves the fabric of the islands industrial identity which is why craft industry forms a strong part of the island overall business strategy. The local municipality goes to great lengths when designing continuing education, exhibitions and marketing opportunities for the local makers. And the newly formed organization Markers Island is designed to expand the already strong brand of bornholmian crafts in order to reach out and beyond the Scandinavian borders. Makers Island is therefore creating the Craft Festival “Craft Weeks” where guest can experience open studios, Master Classes, workshops and much more alongside the European Glass Context.

Bornholm is passionate about glass and the sustainable production of this demanding material, sustainability is important for the future development of the glass industry and local companies’ works tirelessly to expand their knowledge of recycling and green production methods. The island never hosted a large-scale glass industry, on Bornholm; rather, glass art and craft form part of everyday, cultural life in a more integrated, pervasive fashion with a number of small, but diverse workshops and enterprises. Bornholm sees itself as a “laboratory of change”. Laboratories usually need to be isolated from the surrounding environment in order to study the outcome of experiments, and with its geographical isolation, Bornholm could indeed be seen as a laboratory where you can study the outcome of experimental new practices.