Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Funding
I am incredibly excited to share my funding report for the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung foundation where I attended the “Stone x Glass” course by Viviane Stroede and Tobia Silvotti in Berlin this fall.
This report accounst my full learning experience and the findings of my material research in combing stone and glass in a hot state. The course has been incredibly informative.
Project begging:
Stone x Glass course, Berlin Glass x School of Sculpture: (funded by Tutsek-Stiftung)
On the Stone x Glass course my two main aims were to create a glass hand with a quartz skeleton encased inside, and a stone baby enclosed in a glass bubble, forming a foetus-like figure combining the two materials. Although neither technique had been attempted before on the course, I relied on the shared knowledge of course leaders Tobia Silvotti and Viviane Stroede. The project became a talking point across both studios, allowing me to gather technical insight from practitioners across disciplines. As stone carving is more time-consuming than glass, the course allowed twelve days of stone access and two days of glass. After discussions with the technical teams, I carved a baby from Portuguese pink marble, believed to withstand molten glass. I learned to use power tools to speed up the process, unfortunately the sculpture broke shortly before it was due to be encased.
To make use of my first glass session I then shifted focus to the quartz hand. With Tobia’s help, I set up a makeshift grinding lathe to shape quartz hand bones. Due to gas complications, my first glass session had limited kiln access, causing the quartz to shatter from rapid heating. I used the fragments to test encasement, but the glass broke during sculpting. We annealed the surviving part of the sculpture, which confirmed that quartz is compatible with both Bauma soda glass and lead crystal when correctly annealed. The following week I carved a second marble baby, producing a more refined form. With full kiln access and glass assistance, I successfully enclosed the marble baby within a glass bubble.
While not aesthetically resolved, the piece stands as a highly experimental outcome of a previously unproven process. I disseminated online content on Instagram through my stories and posts. I have referenced my funding from the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation in mentions and tags on all posts, as well as a mention of my funding in my bio section. I have also added this course to the events and portfolio pages of my website ariakiani.com.
Outcomes of course: Through this process I have proven that stone and glass can be combined in specific conditions, and that preparation of both materials is critical. Quartz is compatible with multiple types of glass as an inclusion and will not break the glass during annealing. Marble can withstand the heat of molten glass as well as the reheat furnace without breaking. This research significantly advances my practice and now serves as a technical resource for future courses and artists at the School of Sculpture and Berlin Glass.
I’ve now learned and practiced the technical requirements of sculpting solid glass with stone inclusions, and how to enclose a stone sculpture in a blown glass form in hot stasis. I have also developed my stone carving ability to include new materials and equipment available to me at School of Sculpture.
Ongoing development: I have since returned to London and established a studio with access to stone facilities to continue refining this work. Having completed the core material research, I now aim to secure Arts Council England funding detailing my research, technical development and funding by the Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation, to collaborate with specialist glassmakers James Devereux and Katharine Huskie, as well as acredited stone carver Simon Smith to bring the project to completion. My finial works will be exhibited in London, showcasing the research and development, as well as the funding bodies and contributing artists involved the stone and glass project.
