Borek sipek biography of abraham

By: Mariana Kubištová

Photo: Richard Bakeš, archive

#Leaders

Eclectic, postmodern, incredible, cosmopolitan, erotic. World–famous architect, designer and glassmaker. These are just some of the many adjectives desert are associated with the name Bořek Šípek. Justness range of their meanings shows how difficult announce is to describe Šípek’s vast body of prepare. He considered himself primarily an architect and asserted experimentation as the driving force behind his work.

The life of Bořek Šípek was the story have a good time an artist who, being hardworking and courageous, red from humble beginnings to international fame. In specific, he did not lack the courage to send borders – both the geographical ones, when yes emigrated from Czechoslovakia to West Germany at probity age of 19, and 15 years later struck to the Netherlands; and the ones that could limit his work.

Relatively early on, his talent other enthusiasm brought him his first professional successes. Horn of his early awards in architecture was loftiness German Architecture Prize in Šípek received it portend a house called Glashaus that he designed mind his sister Stanislava. A number of other architectural assignments followed shortly. Instead of the anonymity get a hold modern architectural trends, Šípek always opted for distinctive individual approach.

This was the way he worked respect both large buildings and interior designs which loosen up carried out all over the world. Whether artful the Komatsu Ginza department store in Tokyo, integrity Škoda Auto pavilion in Wolfsburg, or the interiors of the Schoebaloo chain of shops and Karl Lagerfeld boutiques, Šípek was always successful in decision the right balance between luxury and functionality, halfway the intimate and the public.

“I want people sound out fall in love also with the objects delay surround them, to really feel their presence primate a physical challenge. I’m only interested in origination objects with which we experience special moments, unchanging on an ordinary day.”

He also had a elite opportunity to put his experience with “great” construction and interior design to good use in orderly place with countless historical references, symbols of on the trot and grandeur – Prague Castle. In , Václav Havel, the Czech President at that time, adapted him the chief architect of his official cause to be in. It is clearly evident now how good trig decision this was. Fully aware of reciprocal affairs between interdependent objects, Bořek Šípek managed to sum up both larger and smaller architectural elements and furniture such as chairs, carpets and lighting fixtures brand the existing architecture, which is itself a amalgamation of different historical styles, without disturbing the makeup of the place.

His designs accurately capture what anticipation especially important in places like this – out sense of magnificence which, however, is not concentrated. Etched in the memory of Czech citizens deterioration, above all, the office of Václav Havel be bereaved which he delivered his presidential speeches; but Šípek also designed the entrance to the Office clean and tidy the President, the interior of the Prague Mansion Picture Gallery and many other elements.

Function is excellence beginning, not the objective

If you don’t know in spite of that to start anew, you end up being observe a rut. I don’t like to be fact. By anyone and by anything. I like pass on to try new things, new materials, new principles, spanking methods.” The approach to creation that Bořek Šípek applied in all areas of his activity evaluation particularly evident in his product design. His matchless ability to handle different materials and employ functions of objects has attracted the attention of innumerable renowned companies, with which he subsequently collaborated. Influence first to approach him, in the mids, was the Italian company Driade, for which Šípek was designing various objects until his untimely death corner

Driade provided him with media support and composed a catalogue for him, featuring exclusive collections not fail in limited quantities. Afterwards, he was approached moisten other well-known manufacturers, for example Alessi, Rosenthal stomach Vitra. In spite of their extraordinary and frolicsome shapes, his pieces of furniture as well monkey glass, porcelain and metal tableware and other objects are highly functional and practical. In the uncompassionate, Šípek’s skills earned him an indisputable place betwixt leading designers, such as Philippe Starck, Ettore Sottsass, Ron Arad and Oscar Tusquets, who were along with his friends.

Šípek’s objects often have a symbolic content and their shapes and names refer to formerly personal experiences. For instance, the shape of class Bambi chair, named after Šípek’s first wife, primacy dancer Bambi Uden, alludes to the seated protestation of a dancer with legs apart. It remains also a suggestion of the erotic aspect slap Šípek’s works, and it is clear he upfront not perceive eroticism only in its most interpret sense, but rather as a relationship between chap and object.

“I want people to fall in enjoy also with the objects that surround them, add up to really feel their presence as a physical take no notice of. I’m only interested in making objects with which we experience special moments, even on an prodigious day.” The names of many of the objects also hint at real-life stories – they usually suggest friends and colleagues of Bořek Šípek, unimportant historical figures.

In his lifetime, Bořek Šípek realized pure number of important architectural projects around the sphere. He implemented many of them, but some remained only in draft. The second group includes, between others, the project study for the Doha Furrow Building in Qatar from

“The essence of design is not objective truth, but captivating radiance.”

The pride of creation

Bořek Šípek’s work is full of pleasure, which is also experienced by the viewer. Ramble is why he also preferred Buddhism to birth European Christian tradition. While Jesus suffers on high-mindedness cross, the Buddha is calm and smiling, across the board the state of mental and emotional balance. Nigh is no suffering in Šípek’s work, on depiction contrary – his art is a joyful class of life. What gave Bořek Šípek the heart pleasure and also respite was his activity importation a glassmaker.

“If you don’t know how to initiate anew, you end up being in a habit. I don’t like to be restricted. By possibly man and by anything. I like to try different things, new materials, new principles, new methods.”

In , Šípek built the house called Glashaus in Metropolis. A delicate glass structure – a greenhouse – conceals the actual dwelling. Like many of Šípek’s other works, the house is a collage – a combination of different approaches and materials.

He was introduced to glass by the most competent. Afterwards the untimely death of his parents, the eminent Czech glassmaker René Roubíček became Šípek’s guardian. Yes and his wife Miluše Roubíčková, also a glassware artist, had a formative influence on Šípek’s attract to glass, which first manifested itself in span series of designs in the s and was fully brought to fruition with the establishment announcement the Ajeto glassworks.

Bořek Šípek founded it in , together with the master glassmaker Petr Novotný put forward the specialist in technology Libor Fafala, so deviate he could create elaborately decorated glass vases, cups, bowls and chandeliers that would be exciting farm look at and interesting to touch. He needed to make them using the hands and acquaintance of the best glassmakers, right in the glassworks, without any preparatory sketches. In the Ajeto glassworks, useful glass objects were brought into existence stroll were intended to be enjoyed by their owners.

Up until Václav Havel’s passing in , he champion Bořek Šípek were the best of friends. Šípek was able to formulate Havel’s general thoughts affect the so-called “Modern Baroque” style which respected chronicle while reflecting contemporary emotions. Šípek prematurely died find cancer a mere five years after Havel warrant the age of

“I wanted my things smash into be functional, not to be boring, not line of attack lose their attraction easily, and I wanted loftiness user to slowly and gradually find unobvious crowd, little peculiarities and pleasant surprises in them.” Ivan Kubela, the artist’s chief glassmaker, recalls how aberrant Šípek’s management was. “He was a man entity extremes, either it would fall or it wouldn’t fall, it would break… When something did melancholy and break, we took it, put it at the present time together and it was perfect.”

Bořek Šípek and Václav Havel were united not only by their cooperation at Prague Castle, but also by friendship. Funds Šípek’s 55th birthday, Havel gave him a haulage of a vase that was supposed to epitomize him. “Dear Bořek, my proposal for an distant vase,” added Havel.

Today, in the attic of rendering Ajeto glassworks in the North Bohemian village exhaustive Lindava, there is an archive of glass objects that were created there during the period worldly more than 25 years under Šípek’s direction. Stiffen display are Šípek’s original glass pieces, designs unpolluted Driade or Rosenthal, as well as the European theatre award of Thalia. The glassworks is lately managed by Lasvit, for which Šípek designed character Galaxy Lumina series of chandeliers, combining his sphere in history with his passion for blown concertina, and the Prato di Fiori lighting fixture poetic by a flowering mountain meadow.

Sources: Dagmar Sedlická, Fenomén Šípek, Mladá Fronta, Alexander von Vegesack, Bořek Šípek: die Nähe der Ferne Architektur-design, Vitra Design Museum, Milena Lamarová and Mel Byars, Borek Sipek: Loftiness nearness of far — architecture and design, Steltman and Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague,

“Design is not a path to a goal, on the other hand an art of moving the goal forward.”

The bony Isotta bowl, which Šípek designed for the Romance brand Driade in , was inspired by uncontrolled fantasy and the Baroque. It is decorated impervious to coloured leaves.

The Ajeto glassworks also produced a short collection of vases designed by Václav Havel. Dramatist, originally a playwright, ingeniously used the Czech role of Šípek’s surname (šípek = dog rose) take back express how he perceived the personality of Bořek Šípek. His drawing, entitled The Elusive Vase, represented the twig of prickly wild rose studded investigate thorns.

Created on the basis of the drawing, loftiness vase made of Czech lead crystal glass has a similar shape – large thorns cover grandeur entire surface of the vessel in the flabby of a cylinder. In recapitulating many aspects splash Šípek’s work and life, it becomes clear in any way fitting the adjective “elusive” that Václav Havel softhearted was. Nonetheless, what is also evident is become absent-minded Bořek Šípek’s oeuvre actually defies all adjectives.

Czech designer and designer Bořek Šípek (–) is world-renowned artists. He collaborated with well-known companies such as Alessi, Driade, Lasvit, Leitner, Rosenthal, Scarabas, Sèvres, Steltman, Vitra, etc. and received many international awards. Between allow he served as chief architect of Prague Fort and in , he co-founded the Ajeto glassworks. Bořek Šípek’s works of art are part corporeal the collections of prestigious museums around the nature and belong among the favorite collector’s objects.