(c) foibos design Foibosdesign company - Suplier of lighting fixtures, chandeliers and contemporary glass sculptures.

energy for art

The FOIBOS company and its Czech trademark “foibos design“ have sought inspiration in the time-tested tradition of Bohemian glass – a phenomenon which, over the centuries, has earned a reputation for quality and excellence. In the past and present, Bohemian glass has been a byword for outstanding workmanship of lasting aesthetic value. There are few substances in the world endowed with such expressivity and level of versatility as glass.

A celebration of ultimate creativity, Bohemian glass is widely recognized for its interaction with innovative trends in art, architecture and design. Among the most significant considerations in the work with glass are its transparency, ability to refract and reflect light, brilliance and beauty of color.

We wish to be your guide in finding new value for contemporary interior and exterior spaces. We are prepared to assist you in seeking solutions that will satisfy even the most discerning customers. We use both traditional and state-of-the-art glass-making technologies, for which we have been rewarded with satisfied clients in dozens of completed projects. Please consider our Foibos Design Guide Book a source of inspiration and an invitation to develop our personal relationships not only in the commercial sphere, but also in our joint appreciation of art and beauty as such.

history

It is a unique yet little-known fact that 500 years ago there existed, according to historical documents, well over a hundred glassworks on the territory then known as the Lands of the Czech Crown.

From the many significant landmarks in the history of the glassmaking industry, it is worth citing the first known manufacturing of crystal chandeliers in north Bohemia under the trademark of Maria Theresa, a trade reaching back to the early years of the 18th century. Czech crystal and artistically worked glass have invariably been regarded as an exceptional and highly prized export commodity. One further watershed in glass development was the first mechanical grinding wheel, opening further possibilities in the field of glassmaking in the Czech lands.

By the 1950s, the boundaries for the working of the very material of glass had been shifted in Czechoslovakia by the introduction of new and experimental techniques, first introduced by students of the School of Applied Arts (V·UP) in Prague. Czech modern glass art had found its first advocates, including such internationally regarded names as Rene Roubicek, Jaroslava Brychtova, Stanislav Libensky and others, the true pioneers of modern art in the medium of glass whose impressive and longstanding experimentation led to the creation of such technologies as the molten-glass sculpture, a medium increasingly used for both interior and exterior ornamentation. And the experience and know-how of these trailblazers of glass art has been successfully passed down to several succeeding generations of artists and creators, the shapers of the new epoch of modern Czech glass transmitted to the world through international exhibitions as well as many successful glassworking symposia organized all around the globe.

At Foibos, we believe that all of the skills and impressive creative potential accumulated over many years by Czech glassworkers and artists, along with a prized tradition of craftsmanship, can capture the attention of viewers from around the world. And in addition, it can inform us greatly of the contemporary world of art.

prague gallery of czech glass

FOIBOS is the initiator and currently the chief partner of the newly created Prague Gallery of Czech Glass, registered as a non-profit company.

The gallery’s immediate objective is to become a lively center which, apart from the presentation and sale of art glass, will serve as an informal meeting place for visitors, artists and critics during exhibition openings, discussions and lectures devoted to the past and present of Bohemian glass. At a later point, the gallery additionally plans to publish specialized literature and operate a documentation center with a computerized database of glass artists and institutions supporting young glass makers. The awarding of the Stanislav Libensky Prize will no doubt become a prestigious event. Within its broadly conceived activities, the Prague Gallery of Czech Glass hopes to collaborate with foreign partner institutions and glass craftsmen, and exhibit Czech art glass abroad.

The most important task of the newly-founded gallery is to open it’s extensive premises for to comprehensive exhibitions that will offer visitors to the capital city of Prague an attractive opportunity to learn about the past and present of Bohemian glass. In a departure from tradition, the exhibition concept includes glass-making demonstrations in a variety of techniques, as well as video shows, visitor’s and children’s workshops, and a shop with supplementary merchandise. The gallery’s future undertakings will center on a long-term series of displays entitled “Journeys in Czech Glass”. In consecutive displays, the series will explore the diverse facets of glass produced in all the foremost glass-making regions of the Czech Republic. This series will comprise a brief historical survey of glass-making in each region, modern trends in twentieth-century glass, production of individual glass factories and one-of-a-kind creations, the importance of glassworking schools, the creative activities of prominent glass artists and teachers, and the artistry of unjustly-forgotten glass designers.

The activity of the Prague Gallery of Czech Glass forms the artistic background for our own commercial activities, as well as providing Czech artists with a realistic opportunity to participate in projects and creation around the world.

design

Our design team, assembled from the top Czech glass designers and artists and supported with our own manufacturing capacity, is an exceptional force in the category of custom-made decorative lamps, glass architectural ornamentation, and equally signed pieces of art glass, which are presented in the newly opened Prague Gallery of Czech Glass for the most aesthetically demanding clientele.

We work actively with design studios and glass workshops, the literal “display galleries” of modern art glass in the Czech lands, stimulating enthusiasm and eagerness around the world, not merely in the realm of public museums and galleries but equally for private collections or even prestigious hotels.

The Foibos Design Team represents a unique combination of artistic excellence, skill and practical know-how, which has a significant impact for new challenges and the new revolution in artistic glassmaking. We design, manufacture and supply art-glass sculptures and objects – whether large, custom-designed installations for public areas, or smaller decorative glass objects for luxury interiors. Our approach to hospitality, retail and business center projects is to work in collaboration with interior designers/art consultants directly with the developers and architects. While our artisans use their skills and imagination to express themselves through their work, we always take into consideration not only the designer’s/consultant’s ideas, but also the considerations of our clients.

acknowledgements

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following institutions and individuals for support in the realisation of our projects, and for the loan of or agreement with the using of illustrative material for presentation in the present volume:

services

For each particular project, we provide sophisticated care and professionalism to surmount new challenges for both sides. Having impressed the client or partner with our initial presentation, we then invite them to our gallery, studio and our glass workshops in Czech Republic, to see for themselves the vast range and variety of effects and designs created with Czech glass. We also invite architects and interior designers directly involved in the projects, so that they can experience for themselves the high level of craftsmanship, the uniqueness of the raw materials and the techniques of processing involved in producing exclusive glass creations or simply the crafted products for the traditional Czech chandelier industry. We provide support during design-preparation stage especially for custom-made chandeliers or glass in architecture. We initially provide a basic sketch and description of the selected items. These are followed by detailed technical shop drawings and a sample of the Finish Materials, which are submitted for the interior designer/client’s approval.

We provide full service including assembly, installation, and repair of the products in any part of the world to satisfy our client’s needs.

FOIBOS a.s.
Bartoškova 26
Prague 4
140 00
Czech Republic
phone: +420 272 101 121
fax: +420 272 101 120
e-mail: info@foibosdesign.com
web: www.foibosdesign.com

FOIBOS MIDDLE EAST
P.O. BOX 10556
Diplomatic Area
Manama
Kingdom of Bahrain
phone: +973 17813 664
fax: +973 17827 434
e-mail: office@foibos.cz
web: www.foibosdesign.com