Database
Václav Cigler
Born April 21 1929, VsetínLived in Prague
"Václav Cigler is an internationally acclaimed artist who uses glass. He has worked with glass, in particular optical glass, since the late 1950's and he was the first artist in the world to realize the great potential this remarkable material has for artistic purposes. One of the main themes of his works was the natural environment and the human imprint on it. From 1959 he designed landscape projects based on the private "self" and defined phenomenologically through the senses. He created spherical objects, light columns, water bodies, geometrical flowers, and gardens of reason as spherical spaces or shapes, as models, and in the form of spatial contemplations of the landscape. In his works, Cigler also dealt with plastic objects made of cut optical glass, and he created designs and implementations of illuminants and jewellery, drawings, spatial objects, and architectural compositions. He dealt with light and sacral architecture. As an artist and teacher Václav Cigler greatly influenced the thoughts and works of several generations of artists."
(Jana Šindelová)
„I make glass without artistic ambitions but as a means of viewing and watching. I create non-technical devices which magnify, shrink, reflect, and decompose the light and colours of the surrounding environment.
I make diaphragms which filter the ambient world and transfer it to new chromacity and mophology. I offer a confrontation between the transformed reality and the original, undistorted reality.
Glass is an exciting material. It is material as much as it is immaterial. It is real as much as it is unreal. It is as independent as it is transcendent and, in a way, challenging to our sensory experience. Glass is probably the only material which can be continuously technologically developed and adapted for the implementation of the most fantastic notions and intentions. Glass has a human nature and fate.“
(Václav Cigler)
(Jana Šindelová)
„I make glass without artistic ambitions but as a means of viewing and watching. I create non-technical devices which magnify, shrink, reflect, and decompose the light and colours of the surrounding environment.
I make diaphragms which filter the ambient world and transfer it to new chromacity and mophology. I offer a confrontation between the transformed reality and the original, undistorted reality.
Glass is an exciting material. It is material as much as it is immaterial. It is real as much as it is unreal. It is as independent as it is transcendent and, in a way, challenging to our sensory experience. Glass is probably the only material which can be continuously technologically developed and adapted for the implementation of the most fantastic notions and intentions. Glass has a human nature and fate.“
(Václav Cigler)
object, installation, land art, jewelery, glassmaking, graphics, drawing, architecture, public art
1948
1951
1959
1960
Untitled (drawing)
1961
1965
1966
Sklo (group exhibition, Prague)
1968
Concretists´Club and Guests (group exhibition, )
1969
50 let českého užitého umění a průmyslového výtvarnictví (group exhibition, Prague)
Concretists´Club and Guest local and foreign (group exhibition, Karlovy Vary)
Concretists´Club and Guest local and foreign (group exhibition, Karlovy Vary)
1970
1974
6. bienále užité grafiky Brno 1974 (group exhibition, Brno)
1981
Art in Glass, Glass in Art (group exhibition, Washington, D.C.)
1983
Výtvarní umělci životu a míru. Výstava malířství, sochařství, grafiky a užitého umění k 35. výročí Vítězného února (group exhibition, Prague)
Contemporary Czechoslovak Art Jewelery (group exhibition, Trenčín)
Contemporary Czechoslovak Art Jewelery (group exhibition, Trenčín)
1984
Československé sklo '84: Umělecká sklářská tvorba (group exhibition, Prague)
1989
The Glass Object (sculpture)
1990
Artists Tribute to Jiří Chalupecký (group exhibition, Prague)
1991
1992
Souvztažnosti, Skleněná plastika a vitráže 1992 (group exhibition, Brno)
Situace 92 (group exhibition, Prague)
Czech Fine Art 1960-1990 (group exhibition, Prague)
Situace 92 (group exhibition, Prague)
Czech Fine Art 1960-1990 (group exhibition, Prague)
1993
Václav Cigler: Projekty, sklo, kresby (solo exhibition, Prague)
Poetry of Rationality / Constructive Tendencies in Czech Art of the 60s (group exhibition, Prague)
Poetry of Rationality / Constructive Tendencies in Czech Art of the 60s (group exhibition, Prague)
1994
Václav Cigler, Silvia Billeter, Eva Brodská: Landschaft, light, raum (group exhibition, )
1996
Užité umění 60. let (group exhibition, Brno)
Václav Cigler: Sklo v rajské zahrádce (solo exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Sklo - projekty - kresby (solo exhibition, Hranice na Moravě)
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Hranice na Moravě)
Art when Time Stood Still. Czech Art Scene 1969-1985 (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Sklo v rajské zahrádce (solo exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Sklo - projekty - kresby (solo exhibition, Hranice na Moravě)
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Hranice na Moravě)
Art when Time Stood Still. Czech Art Scene 1969-1985 (group exhibition, Prague)
1997
Jacob's Ladder (sculpture)
Václav Cigler: Skleněné objekty, kresby, projekty (solo exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Skleněné objekty, kresby, projekty (solo exhibition, Brno)
Concretists´Club (after 30 years) (group exhibition, Zlín)
Between Tradition and Experiment. Works on Paper and with Paper in Czech Art 1939-1989 (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Václav Cigler: Skleněné objekty, kresby, projekty (solo exhibition, Brno)
Concretists´Club (after 30 years) (group exhibition, Zlín)
Between Tradition and Experiment. Works on Paper and with Paper in Czech Art 1939-1989 (group exhibition, Olomouc)
1998
Sbírka Galerie Benedikta Rejta (group exhibition, Louny)
1999
"... What a Collection." Additions of the Olomouc Museum of Art for the years 1985–1998 (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Brightening (group exhibition, )
Art of Accelerated Time. Czech Art Scene 1958-1968 (group exhibition, Prague)
Brightening (group exhibition, )
Art of Accelerated Time. Czech Art Scene 1958-1968 (group exhibition, Prague)
2000
Alfa 2000 omega (group exhibition, )
2001
Možná sdělení (group exhibition, Brno)
300 Years of Czech Decorative Art (group exhibition, Takasaki )
Stanislav Libenský a jeho škola (group exhibition, Prague)
Object - Object: Metamorphoses in Time (group exhibition, Prague)
300 Years of Czech Decorative Art (group exhibition, Takasaki )
Stanislav Libenský a jeho škola (group exhibition, Prague)
Object - Object: Metamorphoses in Time (group exhibition, Prague)
2002
Václav Cigler: Sklo, kresby, projekty 1960 - 2000 (solo exhibition, Trenčín)
In honor of creative Team - the First Part of the Collection of Jan and Meda Mládek (group exhibition, Prague)
5. benefiční večer virtuální galerie ArtForum (group exhibition, Prague)
In honor of creative Team - the First Part of the Collection of Jan and Meda Mládek (group exhibition, Prague)
5. benefiční večer virtuální galerie ArtForum (group exhibition, Prague)
2003
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Prague)
Čehu musdienu stikls (group exhibition, Riga)
Čehu Māsdienu Māksla (group exhibition, Riga)
Václav Cigler: Projekty - sklo - realizace (solo exhibition, )
Čehu musdienu stikls (group exhibition, Riga)
Čehu Māsdienu Māksla (group exhibition, Riga)
Václav Cigler: Projekty - sklo - realizace (solo exhibition, )
2004
Light point - Focusing Screen (sculpture)
Look Light (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Objekty (solo exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Kresby (solo exhibition, Olomouc)
3th Contemporary Art Fair (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Louny)
Közeli távolság: a cseh képzőművészet 1956 és 1972 között az Olmützi Művészeti Múzeum gyűjteményéből (group exhibition, Székesfehérvár)
Václav Cigler: Objekty (solo exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Kresby (solo exhibition, Olomouc)
3th Contemporary Art Fair (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Louny)
Közeli távolság: a cseh képzőművészet 1956 és 1972 között az Olmützi Művészeti Múzeum gyűjteményéből (group exhibition, Székesfehérvár)
2005
The Sword of Damocles: Czech Art 1956–1972 from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Space and Time (group exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Kresby, projekty, sklo (solo exhibition, )
Space and Time (group exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Kresby, projekty, sklo (solo exhibition, )
2006
Václav Cigler: Výstava jednoho objektu (solo exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Prague)
In tow of the Avant-garde? Czech Art 1956–1978 from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, )
Kalendáře pro Jindru Štreita (group exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, Prague)
In tow of the Avant-garde? Czech Art 1956–1978 from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, )
Kalendáře pro Jindru Štreita (group exhibition, )
2007
Od sochy ... České sochařství 2. poloviny 20. století ze sbírek Galerie Klatovy / Klenová (group exhibition, )
Průzračný svět: Podoby vody (group exhibition, )
Czech Glass / 1945-1980 (Design in an Age of Adversity and Illusion) (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Krajinné projekty (solo exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, )
Průzračný svět: Podoby vody (group exhibition, )
Czech Glass / 1945-1980 (Design in an Age of Adversity and Illusion) (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler: Krajinné projekty (solo exhibition, )
Václav Cigler: Kresby a objekty (solo exhibition, )
2008
Československé sklo v exile. (group exhibition, Bratislava)
Cold War Modern. Design 1945–1970 (group exhibition, London)
Václav Cigler: Vodní hladiny / Zrcadlení / Čeření (solo exhibition, Prague)
No cage for me! Czech and Slovak art 1970–1989 from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Cold War Modern. Design 1945–1970 (group exhibition, London)
Václav Cigler: Vodní hladiny / Zrcadlení / Čeření (solo exhibition, Prague)
No cage for me! Czech and Slovak art 1970–1989 from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, Olomouc)
2009
My Europe (group exhibition, Prague)
Biënnale Kijkduin 2009 (group exhibition, Den Haag)
Glas als sieraad (group exhibition, Schiedam)
Olomouc Central European Forum I. Czech | Czech Art from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Václav Cigler: Místa setkávání (solo exhibition, Prague)
Biënnale Kijkduin 2009 (group exhibition, Den Haag)
Glas als sieraad (group exhibition, Schiedam)
Olomouc Central European Forum I. Czech | Czech Art from the Collections of the Olomouc Museum of Art (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Václav Cigler: Místa setkávání (solo exhibition, Prague)
2010
New Sensitivity (group exhibition, Beijing)
2011
1ar/t - 100 m2 pro umění (group exhibition, )
Doteky konstruktivismu (group exhibition, Prague)
Deep Attractiveness (group exhibition, )
Doteky konstruktivismu (group exhibition, Prague)
Deep Attractiveness (group exhibition, )
2012
Vše nejlepší! České sklářské umění (group exhibition, Prague)
From Tizian to Warhol / Olomouc Museum of Art 1951-2011 (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Hledání řádu (solo exhibition, Prague)
From Tizian to Warhol / Olomouc Museum of Art 1951-2011 (group exhibition, Olomouc)
Hledání řádu (solo exhibition, Prague)
2013
Century of Relativity. Permanent Exhibition of 20th Century Fine Arts (group exhibition, Olomouc)
2015
Václav Cigler: Here and Now (solo exhibition, Prague)
2016
Cigler Motyčka – Akčytom Relgic (group exhibition, České Budějovice)
Václav Cigler – Michal Motyčka – Jindřich Zeithamml (group exhibition, Broumov)
Václav Cigler – Michal Motyčka – Jindřich Zeithamml (group exhibition, Broumov)
2017
Václav Cigler & Michal Motyčka: Dialogue (group exhibition, Prague)
2018
Václav Cigler and Michal Motyčka (at the XIV. Smetana's Creative Litomyšl 2018) (solo exhibition, Litomyšl)
Dokoupil/ Cigler & Motyčka (solo exhibition, Prague)
Dokoupil/ Cigler & Motyčka (solo exhibition, Prague)
2019
Václav Cigler / Michal Motyčka: Light Field (solo exhibition, Roudnice nad Labem)
Václav Cigler, Michal Motyčka│Prisms and Cylinders (solo exhibition, Zlín)
Culmination / The Apex of Czech Fine Art (group exhibition, Prague)
Václav Cigler, Michal Motyčka│Prisms and Cylinders (solo exhibition, Zlín)
Culmination / The Apex of Czech Fine Art (group exhibition, Prague)