EBELTOFT.- Danish visual artist Tove Storch ventures into uncharted territory with her new exhibition, Glassy Eyes, at Glas – Museum of Glass Art. This groundbreaking showcase marks Storch’s first exploration of glass as a medium, presenting a series of intricate sculptures that embody both fragility and explosive intensity.

Pioneering a New Artistic Path

Although glass is a new material for Storch, she brings her expertise as an accomplished sculptor known for pushing the boundaries of materials like metal, plaster, paper, and textiles. Over the years, her work has examined the interplay of tension, collapse, and resistance in various materials, and Glassy Eyes reflects this same meticulous inquiry, now translated into glass. According to Storch, the exhibition signals “a new highway” in her artistic practice.

Blood, Sweat, and Glass

At the heart of Storch’s latest works is a visceral exploration of the human body as both vessel and form. The exhibition features blood-red droplets, tear-shaped sculptures, and translucent orbs that evoke the delicate, yet volatile, relationship between physical and emotional experiences. These forms embody a dramatic interplay of fragility and strength, stretching the properties of glass to their limits.

Using thin, meter-long strands of molten glass, Storch manipulates the material to create works that tell their own story. Tool marks are intentionally left visible, forming “pupils” that invite viewers to peer into the depths of each piece.

The creation process has been intense, with Storch collaborating closely with glassblower Chris Lowry at Glas’s workshop in Ebeltoft over the past six months. Reflecting on the challenges, she remarked: "Glass is a material I couldn’t figure out on my own. My usual logic doesn’t apply to it. But I’ve gained new insights into how it behaves, opening up an entirely new perspective for my practice."

Liquid Exchange: A New Collaborative Initiative

Glassy Eyes is the inaugural project of Liquid Exchange, a collaborative initiative between Glas and Art Hub Copenhagen. The program invites contemporary artists who have never worked with glass to explore the medium, fostering experimentation and cross-disciplinary innovation.

Mikkel Hammer Elming, Director of Glas, expressed his excitement about Storch’s involvement: "Tove Storch is, in my opinion, one of the most fascinating sculptors today. It’s inspiring to see how she has embraced glass as a material. Our exhibitions aim to carve out a new niche in Danish contemporary art history by expanding glass’s role as an artistic medium."

Engaging the Public

Throughout the creation process, museum visitors have been invited to observe Storch’s experiments in the workshop, offering a rare glimpse into the artistry and effort involved in working with glass. Even in the final days leading up to the exhibition, guests can witness the last stages of her creations, as molten glass is drawn into delicate, thread-like forms.

Visitors can experience Storch’s innovative work in person, with no registration required for the opening.

Thematic and Artistic Vision

Curated by Maria Kjær Themsen, a noted author and art critic, Glassy Eyes delves into the connections between body and psyche, revealing how glass can serve as a medium for storytelling and emotional resonance. The exhibit balances technical precision with poetic interpretation, making it a standout event in contemporary art.

Tove Storch

Born in 1981, Tove Storch graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 2007. She has also studied at prestigious institutions such as the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Vienna and Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin. Storch’s work is part of several major collections, including the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, the Malmö Museum of Art, and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. She has been recognized with numerous accolades, such as the Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Grant and a three-year working grant from the Danish Arts Foundation.

Currently based in Copenhagen, Storch continues to challenge conventions and redefine the boundaries of sculpture, as evidenced by her transformative work in Glassy Eyes.