INTERVIEW

Our artist belongs to the fourth generation of a family rooted within the glassmaking tradition, started in 1920 by his great-grandfather, who founded Vidres Collado, a flat glass company. A versatile, self-taught artist who studied the different textures of glass, Ferran has developed his own vision of this ancestral art using techniques such as blowing, thermoforming, enamelling and sandblasting, among others, in order to create unique pieces.

Looking at this crisis situation we’ve been living the past few weeks, do you think this is an opportunity to look at things differently? Could this make a big change in our lives?

Well of course! This kind of situation should make us think about ourselves, about society and the way we look at the planet. I really think we should listen to it more and be more sustainable. In my opinion, this crisis has a lot to teach us: be more patient, more understanding and kind towards everything around us. We are part of it all, we are what surrounds us, and I think this will change our relationship with it all…

Why did you decide to take up this profession?

I don't actually remember the day I decided to work in the glass industry, it’s always been part of me. As you mentioned, my family has been involved in this art for 4 generations. I didn't decide one day to make it my career, it was simply part of my life. This profession is a passionate one, it's not easy to blow glass, it's a trade that requires a lifetime of dedication and learning. I had the option to do whatever I wanted, but I only wanted to make glass. I saw my grandfather working, my father too, and the only thing I wanted to do after finishing school was to get into the workshop and start making things out of glass: I see it as a magical trade... Glass is a very noble material that gives society many possibilities, and it is one of the few materials that has helped humanity evolve, thanks to its qualities. Besides, it can be recycled as many times as you want, how fantastic is that!

How do you feel about the fact that you are one of the few glassbowers left in Spain?

I feel sad, it is a dying trade: there aren’t any schools that give training, people can only learn in workshops or need to be lucky to have someone in their family who is a glassblower and can show them their ancestor’s trade and knowledge. There are very few glassblowers left in this country, industrialisation has done a lot of damage to the trade, and the only way of developing it is artistically, which only gets us to a certain type of audience.

What's the strangest thing you've ever created or been asked to create with glass?

I'm used to making strange things out of glass, I don't usually do simple or "normal" things, that's what the machines are for. I have created very strange and sometimes not very functional elements, here are examples of things I’ve made out of glass: motorbike helmets, shoes, stools, fire extinguishers, etc... Pieces of art that to me represent moments and life circumstances.

What possibilities does blown glass offer in a marketing activity, such as an event, and to what extent is it customisable?

Glass offers infinite possibilities. I can personalize the pieces I create, I can blow and melt glass on the spot, creating sculptures according to the event’s theme. We can also involve guests in the making of these pieces and then let them have one as a souvenir of the event or action.

You’ve performed in various corporate events... Is there a specific one in which you’d like to take part? Why?

Yes, I have performed in several events and corporate actions, and each one makes me feel excited about something different, because every event / action is different. And the client sees it as something exceptional, to be able to personalize this part of their event. I really enjoy participating in events, as they are very different and a long way from my job, but at the same time they are both united by this unique material. No matter what is being promoted, no matter what you want to sell, glass has a special magic touch.

Getting back to the complicated and unusual situation we are in: everything has slowed down quite a bit, how are you living it? Can you give us some details about the projects you have in mind to face the next few months?

I want to see it in a positive way and I’d like to think that when it is all over, things will more or less go back to normal. I had several projects underway that have now been suspended or cancelled until further notice, including several sculptures, pieces or installations. During these days of confinement, I am living calmly, with patience, in this life everything goes and we must learn from everything. These days are to reflect and to listen to ourselves, it is like a break to recharge the batteries and, as I said at the beginning, to observe what surrounds us and what we want the future to be like.