Tomáš Prokop: Czech Glass Art Recognised in Milan
Czech artist Tomáš Prokop presented his work The Cylinder at the international MilanoVetro-35 competition exhibition at Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. Combining glass with slowly flowing asphalt, the work received a special mention from the jury. We supported its creation and presentation abroad, showcasing contemporary Czech glass art as a field of experimentation and new approaches.
Donation beneficiary
Tomáš Prokop
Support date
May 2026
Why we support the project
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the project showcased Czech artistic talent at an international exhibition focusing on innovative uses of glass in art and design
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Tomáš Prokop brings a distinctive approach to the Czech glassmaking tradition, engaging international experts and audiences through his work
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our support helps cover the costs of creating and transporting the work, enabling it to be exhibited abroad
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participation and recognition in an international competition strengthen the artist’s professional standing and can lead to new contacts and further exhibition opportunities
About the project
MilanoVetro-35 is an international art and design glass competition for artists under 35, organised by the museums of Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. It encourages innovative approaches to glass and connects young artists with industry professionals. For its fifth edition, the jury selected 33 works from nearly one hundred submissions. The finalists’ exhibition ran from 28 May to 13 September 2026.
Tomáš Prokop took part with Válec, exhibited under its English title The Cylinder. The glass cylinder is filled with asphalt which, despite its apparent stillness, slowly flows out, gradually changing the shape of the entire work. Solid, transparent glass thus meets a dark substance in constant motion. Time becomes part of the creative process, and viewers witness a transformation that can neither be stopped nor precisely predicted.
The work builds on the artist’s longstanding interest in the relationships between materials, the passage of time and impermanence. The international jury awarded it a special mention – Menzione speciale. Following his recognition at the same competition in 2022, Prokop once again demonstrated the international appeal of his work with glass and asphalt.
Tomáš Prokop studied sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Brno University of Technology. His work has been exhibited at The Venice Glass Week, Japan’s Toyama Glass Art Museum and the Corning Museum of Glass in the United States, whose collection also includes his work. In 2018, he received the Silver Prize at the Toyama International Glass Exhibition.
Our support helped fund the creation of the work, a protective transport crate and shipping to Milan and back. This enabled Czech art to be presented in a setting that brings together artists, curators, collectors and other professionals from around the world.
