Lux Viva

At Designblok 2026, SIN Gallery presented LUX VIVA, a project based on original designs by Milan Knížák. Combining fine art and design with the rich tradition of Czech glassmaking, the installation translated Knížák’s distinctive visual language into glass, drawing on the full potential of contemporary glassmaking.

Light lay at the heart of the exhibition. Against a deep blue, almost theatrical setting, transparent glass objects in vivid colours seemed to emerge from the surrounding darkness. Uranium glass took centre stage, glowing intensely under UV light and lending the installation an almost otherworldly quality. Pink and clear glass interacted with the light in different ways, capturing, refracting, transmitting, and reflecting it throughout the space. More than objects on display, the works actively shaped the interplay of light, transforming space, colour, and our perception of matter.

The presented works blurred the line between function and autonomous art. Shelves, vases, candlesticks, and other objects followed Knížák’s designs, combining function with expressive gesture, wit, and bold sculptural form. Glass was not merely decorative, but integral to the interplay of form, colour, and light.

The project paid tribute to Milan Knížák’s artistic freedom while showing how the Czech glassmaking tradition could be reimagined through contemporary practice.

The installation responded directly to LIGHT, the central theme of the 28th edition of Designblok, exploring it not only as a physical phenomenon, but also as a medium capable of transforming material, space, and our perception of objects.