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Arts & Communication Contemporary Portuguese glass art

4. Conclusion

Glass is fragile and brittle, often used as decorative
pieces. Due to its inherent qualities such as transparency,
opacity, and translucency, this material is perceived in
all of its artistic and conceptual potentialities, presenting
innumerable artistic possibilities to all those who wish
to utilize it. The underlying intention of this paper is to
present a change in that perspective, denoting glass as a
fine art material in the contemporary art world – and as a
material that is used by artists to make art pieces.
The significant growth of education programs in the past
years, such as the introduction of new curricular units in art
faculties, and the Master’s program in “Glass and Ceramics
and Science for the Arts” conducted at VICARTE, have
Figure 11. Manuela Castro Martins. Sol, 90 × 90 × 10 cm, 2022. Photo contributed to the increased number of artists working
credit: Manuela Castro Martins. Copyright © 2022 Manuela Castro with glass as a fine art material. Furthermore, existing
Mendes. Reprinted with permission of Manuela Castro Mendes. projects and research conducted in Portuguese universities
have facilitated the convergence between arts, science, and
the use of novel materials.
Today, the participation of artists in glass projects
is increasing, and displaying artworks in exhibitions
featuring glass as a fine art material is now part of the
student’s curriculum. This has gradually popularized glass
as a material for art-making.
The present article introduces a range of Portuguese artists
who use glass in the conception of their artworks – a material
whose emergence within the sphere of contemporary
art occurs belatedly in Portugal in comparison to the rest
of the world. The glass museum emerged in the late 90s
showcasing a vast array of works, which have since grown
to the amount that can occupy the exhibition spaces of two
museums. This article also provides an introduction to the
Figure 12. Patrícia Oliveira, Pentefuso, 3 × 2.4 × 2.6 m. Cabeceiras de artistic landscape of glass in Portugal, offering a glimpse
Bastos, 2022. Photo credit: Patricia Oliveira. Copyright © 2008 Patricia into the authors and their works, chronologically analogous
Oliveira. Reprinted with permission of Patrícia Oliveira. to the growth of this art form, which is still relatively recent
compared to many other countries.
tradition of the village, that is very famous for its organ
pipe since the medieval ages. Patrícia Oliveira connected Acknowledgments
the piece to the inspiration from the soundscape of the All the photographs presented in this article are used with
weaving process and the shapes of organ pipes, evoking permission and credit is given to the authors of the work
an ancestral technological aura of textile production of the presented. The author would like to thank Jan Pardal for
region, by combining carding and guiding threads. In an proofreading the paper and extend the acknowledgments to
interview, the artist says: VICARTE-UIDB/00729/2020 (https://doi.org/10.54499/
“The work materialized in blown glass in scale, makes UIDB/00729/2020) and UIDP/00729/2020 (https://doi.
the observer emerge in a field of references and fertile org/10.54499/UIDP/00729/2020).
concepts that are nourished in rural spaces, connected
with the agricultural work and its times that mark a Funding
rhythm linked to nature; connected with the feminine, This research was funded by FCT (Fundação para a
caring; with the relationship of women and what is around Ciência e Tecnologia) grant [SFRH/BD/30684/2006] and
them.” 34 VICARTE UIDB/00729/2020.

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2024) 9 doi: 10.36922/ac.2777