Hopp (Hope) – glass art piece by Erika Lagerbielke for Lund Cathedral

June 15- September 24
The Arcade Gallery

This summer, Erika Lagerbielke’s sketches for the glass art piece Hopp (Hope) will be exhibited in The Arcade Gallery.

The art piece in glass is placed in the window above the altar in the crypt of Lund Cathedral. It was inaugurated on January 6 in connection to the 900-year anniversary of the altar initiated for “John the Baptist and all patriarchs and prophets” in 1123.

Hopp is positioned in a window, while being at the same time an image of a window. Its perspective is a continuation of the brickwork in the crypt. Two shades of intense blue emerge and seem to grow out of Hopp. The ultramarine blue refers to Virgin Mary and the Cathedral’s long tradition of Marian devotion, while the turquoise blue color symbolizes John the Baptist, water, the river Jordan and the sacrament of baptism. An intensely orange colour enhances the morning light rising in the east, and works as a metaphor for dawn, a new day coming.

The mouth-blown glass art piece was made using traditional lead came technique and was custom-built by Glashütte Lamberts in Germany. Hopp was shaped in close cooperation with glazier Per Steen Hebsgaard in Denmark.

Erik Lagerbielke (born 1960) is one of the most well-known designers and glass artists in Sweden, her style in design is noticed internationally and she has had numerous solo exhibitions all over the world. Her artwork is characterized by innovation, function and confidence in form and color. Lagerbielke has collaborated with Orrefors since 1982. She made it big-time in 1984 with the release of Intermezzo, the drinking glass series with the blue drop sealed into the glass.

Lagerbielke has had several public and liturgic commissions such as Bröllopsservisen to the Swedish Crown Princess Couple in 2010, the rector’s regalia for Linnaeus University, the choir windows in Emmaboda kyrka, St Sigrid’s crozier for the Diocese of Växjö, and the Baptismal funt for Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford, England.

Since 2005, Erika Lagerbielke is professor in design at Linnaeus University in Växjö.

The presentation is held together with Lund Cathedral.

Program in connection to the exhibition:

Guided tour from Skissernas Museum to Lund Cathedral
The tour starts at Skissernas Museum at 2 pm. and ends at 3.30 pm. in Lund Cathedral. Stay for coffee, mingling and reflection after the showing. Free admission! The tour is in Swedish.

Guided tour July 13 at 14:00-15.30
Guided tour July 27 at 14:00-15.30