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Czech Selection at Designinteriors Singapore 2014

(This article expired 03.09.2015.)

Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic in cooperation with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague will introduce the contemporary Czech design from September 1-3, 2014 in Marina Bay Sands, hall C / EE26.

Presentation of Czech companies at this year's Designinteriors exhibition in Singapore demonstrates the importance of glass within the interior space. Glass, acts within an interior space, as a mysterious material to which poets and philosophers assign a unique wisdom, mystery and poetry. Scientists and engineers emphasize its optical properties; not only its fragility yet also its strength. Glass makes an interior special and evokes a special atmosphere; it enriches it with illusionary and imaginative effects. In modern interior spaces, glass offsets the transparency of space, its arrangement and neatness. There is a long tradition of using Czech glass in interior spaces; the tradition is based on glass-making technologies with a great focus on manual work and local know-how. In northern Bohemia, in particular, the skills of Czech glass-makers have been passed on from generation to generation and contribute to the unique quality of Czech glass-making.

A young and dynamic company, Lasvit, has been working with Czech glass-makers in a particularly diverse manner, to the point where they now run nine branches on a worldwide scale. Lasvit constantly seeks out new approaches for the use of glass in public and domestic interiors, of either intimate or grand design in both character and scale. Lasvit's luminous creations light up many luxurious hotels and private mansions, not to mention the Dubai underground. Lasvit also works with world famous designers, such as Japanese designer Oki Sato and British designer Ross Lovegrove, to name but a few. Lasvit's active approach to implementing special glass-works has seen the company awarded the opportunity to exhibit at the on-going Biennial of Architecture in Venice, a prestigious exclusive exhibition of the most interesting achievements in modern global architecture.

One of the most luxurious brands on the European market is the glass manufacturer, Moser. It has specialized in art crystal glass for 155 years and each of their products is unique due to its handmade design process. Moser's table-top glass objects have a highly distinctive character, owing to their luxurious crystal glass formed by modern methods, in tandem with dominant abstract shape expressions. Squared-off and organic objects are typical of "Moseresque" colouring, which goes to animate modern interior spaces. Moser has placed its faith in partnering young designers by establishing the Fresh for Moser collection.

Space CZ, a young and dynamic company, along with its brand, Verreum, have successfully introduced traditional silver glass technology and updated it for the 21st century lifestyle. The exclusivity of this technology lends the objects the hallmark of extraordinary elegance, luxury and simplicity, blending purposeful shapes with optical reflections of its materials. These objects invoke an intensely visual and haptic experience in any interior. The company has expanded into the worldwide sphere by cooperating with designers who have learned to embrace this extraordinary technology of silver glass production. Such celebrities include, among others, fashionable scenic designer, Arik Levy and Karim Rashid.

Recently established, Czevitrum is a company that also decorates interiors with illuminating glass
objects, providing any living space with an intimate atmosphere. Round glass objects radiate heat in the
dark, while maintaining an elegance of cold formality and exact geometrical shape in daylight. The
company cooperates closely with family run glass-works in northern Bohemia as well as experienced Czech
designers.

Traditional decorative glass has been amongst the favourite of interior accessories since the 19th
century when the noble class supported its production in the territory of the Czech lands. The table-top
glass shapes that mark the classical and Biedermeier periods mirror the traditional craft techniques of
Czech glass producers, passed on over centuries from one generation to another - engraving, cutting,
blasting, etching, colouring and gilding. These techniques make vases, drinking sets and luxurious lamp
fixtures look special. The oldest continuously-producing decorative glass company is Caesar Crystal
Bohemiae
, established in the mid-19th century. They practice the perfection of the production of original
Czech-cut crystal glass, based on manual skills. Clear crystal glass is covered with a layer of coloured-lead
crystal glass, which is later manually cut according to the model shape. The colour, light and brilliance of
this quality molten glass has a very unique effect. In recent years, Gold-Crystal, a company that operates
under the Bohemia brand, has become an expanding manufacturer and exporter of decorated glass, while
also specializing in products of lead crystal glass.

The Bomma brand glass sets represent a contrast to decorative glass as the synonym of the brand hightech
crystal. Even this relatively young glass factory produces high-quality Bohemian crystal and uses
automatic glass-cutting technologies based on its own unique technological process. The robotic cut is
continuously varied and innovated due to advanced robotic machines and brings surprising results as far as
delicacy and subtlety of the lustrous effects are concerned. In addition, Bomma is a company with a
dynamic marketing plan and the generous vision of its art directors has obtained the cooperation of a
number of prestigious designers, whose works have for many years graced museum collections around the
world: František Vízner, Vratislav Šotola, Jiří Pelcl, Jeff Miller and Thomas Jenkins. The company has also
started to cooperate with students of schools of arts. The timelessness and the contemporary freshness of
design associate the Bomma brand drinking sets with the 21st century.

The company mmcité has a very close relationship with living spaces, as their founders are designers
themselves and graduates of the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague and established the
company twenty years ago. Today mmcité belongs to some of the greatest specialist European exporters
and manufacturers of urban design. The company's urban fixtures use modern light structures for benches,
dustbins, bus stops, stands, etc., found in many Euro-American cities. Mmcité products have won
numerous Czech and foreign awards, such as the Good Design Chicago and Red Dot Design awards.

The presentation of the Czech Selection collection in Singapore was designed by Olgoj Chorchoj Studio,
a leading light of the Czech designer scene for over twenty years, and thanks to the teaching work of Jan
Němeček and Michal Froněk at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design, it forms the link between a
new generation of designers and experienced Czech and foreign manufacturers.

The Czech saying, "as simple as daily bread" came about due to the description of 1930's interiors. The
designer objects on display at the Czech Selection in Singapore are adding more meat to this simple
everydayness.