Room of Prize Cups I by Wieki Somers

Wieki Somers
Room of Prize Cups I, 2004

A delicate and imaginative glass work created in 2004 by Wieki Somers. At first glance, the objects look familiar: like elegant crystal trophies or decorative vases, but the longer you look, the stranger and more intriguing they become.

For this series, Somers combined hand-blown crystal goblets with crystal vases, carefully cutting and melting them together into a single form. The result feels almost impossible: the glass appears to balance in a fragile, suspended way, as if the pieces are quietly holding each other upright. Each object carries a sense of tension and vulnerability, while remaining graceful and refined.

What makes the work so compelling is the way it transforms ordinary glassware into something emotional and unexpected. Somers plays with ideas of balance, imperfection, and illusion, turning functional objects into sculptural pieces that invite curiosity and close observation.

Created as part of the From Lille with Love project, the series was developed in collaboration with the French glass manufacturer ARC International, drawing on the region’s long tradition of glassmaking. Only seven pieces of Room of Prize Cups I were produced, making the work not only technically remarkable, but also exceptionally rare.