In a world where heritage and innovation intersect Sini Majuri’s latest work, Dreamweaver, merges glass and artificial intelligence.
While handcrafted glass is listed as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, it is globally endangered, often gathering dust on grandparents’ windowsills. Sini Majuri’s latest piece, created in collaboration with AI engineers from Aalto University and Essis by Lasilinkki, is a fusion of generative AI, plasma electricity, and glass art that challenges traditional assumptions about Finnish glass.
The piece premiered on September 2024 at SpazioB, the world’s leading contemporary glass studio in Berengo, Murano.
A two-meter fused glass unicorn is one of the central elements of Dreamweaver. It reflects AI-generated dreams into the surrounding space. The shimmering rainbow-colored piece is both a symbol and a question: How do we navigate a world where technology is both a tool and a mirror, reflecting humanity’s best and worst aspects? The piece contains a coded message: we must wake up, but it is too beautiful.
Photo by JSV Photography
New collaborations provokes new perspectives and possibilities for Essis by Lasilinkki.
Since starting internationalization with artisan glasses over a year ago we have come to a point where we want to find new
and innovative ways to bring out our superpowers to a more international audience.
Glass as a material is versatile, you can mold and reshape it to different designs. Essis by Lasilinkki’s strength and craftsmanship lies in fused glass surfaces. The ingenuity, innovativeness and curiosity are the main tools for our master artisans. They have refined their skills for years by testing, learning and evolving in creating the modern day fused artisan glasses by Essis.
Essis by Lasilinkkis creative director Essi Sundman high lights key points of the collaboration
Working together with people from different backgrounds is in our DNA and has been one of our driving forces in keeping with the times. When this unique opportunity presented itself to us and Sini approached us with this once in a lifetime opportunity, I jumped at the change. To work with some one that has the same intricate knowledge and passion for glass has made this project all the more interesting.
These kinds of collaborations where high-quality craftsmanship meets larger scale production are rare in modern art in Finland. After all we are kind of pioneers in our own field in Finland.With projects like this, we always start the collab by discussing the vision with the artist to create a prototype. After that the vision is given over to the hands of our skilled master artisans.
This project had some magical fairy dust all over it from the very beginning. We have been able to adapt new techniques in the mold making process for us and the end result I think speaks for itself. I’m in awe of our master artisans Sami Hyvärinen and Vladimir “Vova” Krasnov and their inventiveness, imagination and expertise. They truly brought these art pieces alive.
