Glass bowl "Close encounters large" by Stefan Schöning

The Belgian artist and renowned architect Stefan Schöning once again amazes with a wonderfully abstract, balanced work of art.

The idea for Close Encounters, a hand-blown glass work, emerged at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Governments implemented measures that made us feel safe, but also quite lonely and alienated from one another. The desire to be close to one's loved ones drove Schöning to create Close Encounters. Instead of depicting distance, the artist decided to embody the opposite: closeness.

For Close Encounters, Schöning deliberately chose glass as the medium because it can be mouth-blown and its properties allow two "bubbles" to adhere to each other. Furthermore, the work's transparency and complementary colors enhance the effect of attraction.