In 1999 I worked at a large advertising agency in the middle of Småland. The agency had a sister company, a PR agency working in the cultural sector. One day I met Ann Wolff there. She had made a large decoration in a chapel in Utrecht, Holland. The agency would make press materials for the job. This was my first meeting with Ann and my first insight into her work. For a while, I worked with the press material and took care of the image material and was impressed by what Ann had done. At the time of the inauguration in Utrecht, I had no opportunity to attend. I thought instead that I would say hello later. So it happened. 23 years later, last fall, I visited Delft, Holland. So now that I was finally in the vicinity, of course, I couldn’t avoid visiting the chapel in Utrecht.
The relatively small room is stylish and simple. White and completely clean of superfluous details. With all the focus on Ann’s work. A huge image of colour and expressions rises in the room, and it is completely impossible not to stand with your mouth half open. Staring and impressed by what you experience.
If you are given or take the opportunity to visit and experience the work in the chapel – Don’t hesitate; just do it!
/Sebastian
“Glass window for the SoW chapel in Utrecht 1999. A public artwork assignment with a total of 15 panels which includes five large and fifteen small glass windows for the Landelijk Diensten Centre. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands inaugurated the artwork on December 1st 1999.
The chapel is situated at the centre of a building complex which approx. Five hundred theologians and civil servants for three different branches of the Reformed Church of Holland are to work together and celebrate mass long into the next century. This new centre is located on a former hospital grounds making it unique.
The artwork is based on a collage technique, which Ann Wolff developed during the fifteen years she spent together with Dirk Bimberg in her very own glass studio in Transjö in, Sweden.
Fifteen different glass sections are joined together to create a forty square metre glass window – images of light – where each section consists of three glass panes within the same framework. Each pane is made up of pieces of coloured antique glass, which have been specially ordered from Ann Wolff’s private range of colours. The artist has burnet the drawings in black into these pieces of glass.
The layered glass gives the images a sense of motion and depth. The countless overlapping colours give rise to a wide range of different shades. Ann Wolff applies a classical glass painting technique using “schwarzlot” and patina in combination with a transparent matt and clear surface.
The theme of the artwork is based on her personal interpretation of the Reformed Church’s theology.
The upper section of the artwork, based on the theme “Divinity”, is inspired by Psalm 121. “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?”
The remaining image panels touch upon issues such as birth – death – resurrection – light – song – songs of praise – the body and blood of Jesus – words – images – confusion – thanksgiving – and daily life.
Certain images include repeated picture elements. The content of this creative work is modernistic and honest. The images lead one to meditation, to personal understanding, and a deeper meaning.”
The chapel in Utrecht 1999 – Glass window for the SoW chapel in Utrecht 1999. A public artwork assignment with a total of 15 panels which includes five large and fifteen small glass windows for the Landelijk Diensten Centre. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands inaugurated the artwork on December 1st 1999.