Last December, the knowledge, techniques, and skills associated with handcrafted glass were added to UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Iittala was one of the 17 entities in the field of glass supporting the nomination process from Finland.
Last week, the renowned Finnish design brand presented another example of the craft behind artistic glass, together with London-based experimental sound and visual artist Damsel Elysium. In partnership with the brand’s new Creative Director, Janni Vepsäläinen, and the master glass blowers at the Iittala Glass Factory, they created a series of unique mouthblown and handcrafted glass instruments and objects exploring sound, sight, and colour. The collection of playful showpieces includes various horns, bells, and bottles with organic shapes. The objects vary in size, ranging from almost two meters long for the largest to about 20 cm high for the smallest. Some objects are free-blown, while others are shaped using a mould.
— I’m a multi-instrumentalist and composer, Elysium explains. In this collaboration, using glass as the medium, it felt natural to create beautiful and functional instruments. All of the glass objects in this series can be played, either with a bow, breath, or percussion. Some also function as listening devices, revealing a different world when placed to the ear.
Simultaneously, Iittala has also launched its new collection PLAY. The philosophy behind it is encapsulated by Alvar Aalto’s famous quote ”Don’t forget to play”.
— The Iittala PLAY is not just a collection of objects; it embodies a mindset – an evolving creative platform that has not only influenced the PLAY collection but also served as an invitation for Damsel Elysium to reimagine glass. I like to think of the objects in this art series as the showpieces of the PLAY collection, says Janni Vepsäläinen, creative director.
