EXPO 2000 in Hannover

The Pavilion of Poland designed by architect Wojciech Obtułowicz was the setting for regional presentations. During the Lower Silesian presentation the main motif of the exposition was a group of eleven sculptures, replicas of a pre-XI century BC, stone Celtic bear originating from Ślęża mountain, “entering” the pavilion headed towards the glass orb symbolizing Ślęża.

The sculptures were created, from materials that Lower Silesia is rich in, by exceptional Lower Silesian artists: Jerzy Bokrzycki, Piotr Butkiewicz, Krystyna Cybińska, Małgorzata Dajewska, Przemysław Lasak, Wojciech Olech, Gabriel Palowski, Stanisław Wysocki, Tomasz Urbanowicz, Jan Zamorski, Ryszard Zamorski.

Tomasz Urbanowicz was the author not only of the glass bear but also of the monumental glass sphere measuring 180 cm in diameter symbolizing Ślęża mountain as well as two glass tablets. Once the EXPO was complete the Urbanowicz bear joined the modern glass collection of the Muzeum Karkonoskie in Jelenia Góra, while the remaining bears are no longer together and have been scattered around the world.