IE School of Architecture and Design students exhibit their blown glass designs at the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja
The exhibition "Mould Operandi" is made up of 30 pieces of glass whose moulds have been designed by the students of the Bachelor in Design and blown by the artisans of the Real Fábrica de Cristales of La Granja in Segovia.
Segovia, May 23 2024. ‘Mould Operandi’ is an exhibition of 30 glass moulds created by students of the Bachelor in Design at IE School of Architecture and Design and then blown by the artisans of the Real Fábrica de Cristales de La Granja in Segovia. Open to the public until June 23, the exhibition is the result of months of effort under the direction of Andrea Caruso Dalmas of the Ciszak Dalmas Studio and Jorge Penadés’ Penadés Estudio, internationally recognized teachers and industrial designers.
"This is an example of learning by doing, a key methodology in our institution, with a first phase of free experimentation by the student and subsequent interaction with the artisan, who in this case, is the master blower," say Andrea Caruso and Jorge Penadés. The participating students have carried out an exhaustive examination of materials such as wood, cardboard, metal, plaster or clay, inspired by the working method of the artist Richard Serra.
The team of glass blowers at the Real Fábrica de Cristales in La Granja has made 30 pieces. The result shows the control of parameters such as material composition, temperature modulation, viscosity and different states of matter. The pieces have been finished by the cutters of the Real Fábrica de Cristales using cold processing techniques.
"In this course we give the same importance to design as to the production of an object. For this reason, a few years ago we organized a workshop at the Real Fábrica de Cristales so that students could experience first-hand how an idea is transformed into reality," explain Andrea Caruso and Jorge Penadés, who teach Materials and Applications at IE School of Architecture and Design.
"We want to establish links between the school, our students, teachers, and the talent of our local environment such as the Real Fábrica de Cristales."
Andrea Caruso and Jorge Penadés
Welcoming the initiative, Andrés Ortega, President of the Real Fábrica de Cristales, explains: "In the eighteenth century, the Real Fábrica de Cristales hired the best glassmaking specialists from all over Europe. In the 21st century, through this initiative with IE University, it recovers the use and internationalization of glass as a material that brings together design, history and modernity."
Clara Llamas, Director of the Bachelor in Design at IE School of Architecture and Design, concludes: “Mould Operandi shows our commitment to promoting students' work and reflects how hands-on learning can change the way we think about design.”