| Dear
friends, you have got the catalogue of our recent meeting kept at the occasion of the 650th anniversary of foundation of Kamenický šenov. The catalogue is a picture of the 3rd year of the Symposium as registered in memories of all of us. The first week of September 2002 will stay full of extraordinary, activities, creative work and beatiful friendly atmosphere in our memory. The feeling of the unity with the mysterious and fragile world of engravings brought together artists, engravers, collectors and other interested people from ten countries penetrating mutually their lives for a short time. This year was exceptional due to the fact that not only the top world artists but also students of art schools and amateur creators from the Dominik Biman School workshops met in the Glass School. Despite of the disadventageous situation after floods we decided not to postpone the Symposium. And the resoluteness of you who came to the Symposium, often from quite distant sites, confirmed us the suitability of the decision. Even with a lower number of participants the final exhibition became a display of fresh designs of artists and of skillness and craftmanship of those who breathed the life in the works. Looking back on the three years of the Symposium we ever realize more intensively the sense of accomplishing of our aims which are the support of matual contacts, discussions, definition of both impulses for new creation and chances for experiments. In the following years we would like to open even larger space for discussion about the present and future situation of the engraved glass not only due to the creation itself but also with respect to its use. The engraved glass will probably never be a subject of an every-day use but - despite of it - its beauty and uniqueness became indispensable for our spirits. It depends on each of us to teach the others to understand the beauty and nobility of the glass technique. Thanks to all of you who make the Symposium, who organize it or who invest considerable finances, to everybody who adopted Kamenický Šenov for a part of your life. Thanks for the possibility to experience the very pleasure of creation, for the chance to meet each other on this way... Helena Braunová (passed from catalogue 3rd INTERNATIONAL SYMPOZIUM OF ENGRAVED GLASS) |