The mesmerizing works in the exhibition Burning Falls were previously on display at Koen Vanmechelen’s solo exhibition Seduzione in the Uffizi in Florence. Central in this set-up is the function of glass in Vanmechelen’s creation of his Cosmopolitan Renaissance narrative. Glass is the material of the future. It is degradable and buildable. Inviting connection and teamwork, glass requires the merger of creativity and craftsmanship. Working with glass is like working with water. The liquid becomes solid through the confrontation of materials. Fire is needed to enable that transformation. The state-in-between solid and liquid is symbolized by a firebird, a generator of action, or a stream of lava, the Burning Falls.