Glass blowers nearly came to no blows when the air circulation began to hamper their creations
The annual glassblowing competiton, the European Functional Flame Off, is keen to notch up yet another great success. The celebration of the 5th anniversary took place last weekend in London, where Club 33 provided an astonishing location for the event. Once again, a group of ten talented glassblowers from Europe gathered in one place to melt colourful glass and bring science and art together. This year the EFFO entries were: Heliox Glass (ES), Mellow Glass (GB), Hive Glass (GB), Glass Haze (GB), EVS 78 (RU), Dok Glass (GB), Fedex Glass (IT), Jam Solo Glass (GB), Vit 78 (RU), GlassHus Switzerland (CH).
Organizing an event like the Flame Off requires continuous hard work and entails dealing with some unexpected complications. On the first day of the competition, it occured that there wasn’t enough air circulation in the room with all the 10 torches on. It made it quite a struggle to go through the day, especially for the artists working in front of the torches and with blazing kilns behind them. Despite the obstacles, the competitors managed to finish the first 8 hours of the contest.
Luckily, the organizers were very determined to find a solution and the next morning they went to the nearest growshop to buy all the necessary equipment to improve the air system. And voila!!! The air situation was so much better and the glassblowers could focus on their creations. The competition ended late at night on Saturday after the second 8 hours tour of work and, for the first time in 5 years, all the ten competitors finished their pieces stepping up their game.
On Sunday, the glassblowers had a chance to unwind while the EFFO judges – Hoobs, JOP and Doshword – were demoing together with Stoneybvloney. In the meantime, all the 10 entries were displayed for the people to see and take pictures of. In the late afternoon the judges started evaluating the pieces. They carefully investigated each pipe’s functionality and execution, taking their time before the final decision has been made. They voted for : 1st Dok 2nd Hive Glass 3rd Vit 78
Also the audience present at the event could vote for their favourite glass in the People’s Choice category. What’s more, the glassblowers were allowed to vote for the first time as well, however, they were not allowed to vote for themselves and had to sign their ballot. The winners chosen by the crowd were: 1st Glashus_Switzerland 2nd Dok 3rd Hive Glass
In general, the Flame Off was a great opportunity for the international glass community to connect and grow stronger. „We were overwhelmed by the interest and love shown by the people that came to the event. We are happy to see glass enthusiasts and collectors meeting the artists and watching the pieces being made. We look forward to seeing you at the next edition of the European Functional Flame Off”
The EFFO team would also like to thank all the generous sponsors who made the event possible and the Club 33 team for their hard work and cooperation.
Check the EFFO Instagram account @european_flame_off to find out more about the event.
