Timo Sarpaneva

Timo Sarpaneva, a 'Ahtojää' (Pack ice) sculpture unsigned.

Clear glass blown in wooden mould. Height c 44 cm. The lower part 20 x 20 cm.

Timo Sarpaneva was the architect of the EXPO 67 exhibition in Montreal. He designed the artwork 'Ahtojää' (Pack ice) for the exhibition. The large work (9 m x 4.5 m) was made of hundreds of glass elements blown into wooden moulds which were then attached to a steel base. Dozens of wooden moulds were made. One wooden mould could be used for an average of 8 sculptures, after which it was burnt out. Each glass element is a unique glass sculpture and additional glass parts were made in case of possible damages.
The "Ahtojää" glass sculptures are different from the other works in the "Finlandia" series. They are made with the same technique, with a slight difference in design: the lower part of the "Ahtojää" sculptures are square-shaped. When placed side by side, the artwork becomes an opaque surface in relief.

Marjatta Sarpaneva

Wear due to age and use. Marks and chips due to the manufacturing process.