April 2024, Part 1
Art Jewelry Forum is pleased to share the news that members of our community find noteworthy. Is something missing? The success of this compilation of compelling events, news, and items of interest to the jewelry community depends on YOUR participation. If you’re a member of AJF at the Silver level or above, you can add news and ideas to this bi-monthly report by going here. If you aren’t a member, but would like to become one, join AJF here.
Listings gathered with assistance from Carrie Yodanis.
ART JEWELRY FORUM SEEKS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As Yvonne Montoya prepares to leave her role, Art Jewelry Forum seeks a new leader. Might it be you? Find all the details here. Apply now!
EVENTS
We have a dedicated page for them. Go here to see the list.
FEEL LIKE SEEING A JEWELRY SHOW?
Find these listings and many, many more on our dedicated exhibition page:
- Cookie Candy Corpus: Söt Smak, Leksak, Hustak—Helena Johansson Lindell, at Platina through April 6
- Perle/Pearl, at Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h through April 17, 2024
- The Strength It Takes to Be Alone, at Pistachios Contemporary Art Jewelry April 4–May 26
FROM OUR MEMBERS
HELEN W. DRUTT ENGLISH REMEMBERS TONE VIGELAND
The Norwegian artist lived August 6, 1938–March 18, 2024. Drutt sent an email that said, in part, “The first encounter with Tone Vigeland in America was an informal presentation of her work organized by the Norwegian consul in New York in 1982. Already a legend cited for her innovative approaches to jewelry, she was a sorceress who transformed rigid base metals—not into gold, but into forms that became soft like feathers or that flowed over the body with rings that felt like silk. Through a system of repetitive forms, she developed a principle in the way she assembled and connected similar elements which create a whole. The resulting volumes in the surfaces undulate and deny their rigid construction.” —Adapted from Tone Vigeland: Jewellery + Sculpture | Movements in Silver, Arnoldsche Art Publishers, Stuttgart, Germany, 2003
BERNHARD SCHOBINGER SHOW OPENS THIS MONTH AT GALLERIA ANTONELLA VILLANOVA
The exhibition will open at the Florence-based gallery on April 20, 2024. “Like an archeologist searching for vestiges of everyday life, Schobinger digs into the universe of more or less anonymous or initially indecipherable objects: parts of utensils, fragments of statuettes, scrap metal, all thing the modern era has produced on a massive scale and disperses with the same mechanical relentlessness. As an art manufacturer, Schobinger intervenes with an almost redemptive gesture to reclaim the ‘being’ of these objects/relics and reanimates them with a new function: he makes the ergonomic and bestows them with a completely new intrinsic, esthetic and emotional value. makes them into ‘jewels’—in the most archaic sense of the word (from the Latin vulgar iŏcus, joke or jest)—or better, “joyous” reliquaries. The playful/ironic aspect of Schobinger’s work lies not only in some of the iconographic or compositional stratagems he devises for his jewelry, but also in his cunning use of materials: precious stones and metals (including gold, diamonds, pearls and quartzes), sometimes in combination with humble or industrial materials like plastic and aluminum, often intentionally dissimulated or hidden, or employed in such a way that they are not immediately recognizable.” —Emanuela Nobile Mino. More info.
QUITTENBAUM TO HOST JEWELRY AUCTION JUNE 12, 2024, SEEKS CONSIGNMENTS
Currently among the offerings in the “Studio Jewelry and Jewels” auction: Hermann Jünger, Pol Bury, Friedrich Becker, Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe, Giampaolo Babetto. Do you have items to consign? Be part of the sale with your selected objects and precious items. Quittenbaum will accept consignments until April 12, 2024. Info.
MAHNAZ COLLECTION TO HOLD SPRING FLING SHOW APRIL 8–12, 2024
Enjoy a selection of recently acquired designer and artist jewels. As part of the exhibition, hear jewelry expert Bella Neyman, founder of NYCJW, speak on the explosion of color in jewelry since the 1960s on April 11, at 5:00 p.m. (space is limited, RSVP required). Info.
VERA SIEMUND AT GALERIE ROSEMARIE JÄGER APRIL 14–MAY 5, 2024
“My works,” says Siemund, “are always transformations of found objects: photos, architectural fragments, decorative objects, historical jewelry. I am interested in the history of recurring forms and styles in art and where the boundary runs between ‘high and low,’ between the sublime and the banal. I move through the history of art and design in leaps and bounds with recurring preferences. I try to restage images that already have a firm place in our cultural memory.” Excerpted from Art Aurea, Issue 55. Info.
KATIE KAMEEN ON EXHIBIT AT BJC APRIL 5–MAY 24, 2024
Re: Play is a solo exhibition of recent jewelry and sculpture. In this collection of colorful abstractions made entirely from secondhand and postconsumer plastics, Kameen focuses on the formal qualities of mass-produced items and how they can communicate intimate aspects of our lives. Works in the exhibition contrast two worlds of plastic: the technicolor space of children’s toys, and the neutral sophistication of functional household objects. Combined with a constant theme of playful reinvention, these spaces of childhood and adulthood reveal aspects of how our relationships evolve organically over time. Info.
SEE VIOLETA ADOMAITYTĖ AT JEWELERS’WERK GALERIE
Violeta Adomaitytė: My Beloved Spring, will be on view Saturday, April 6–Friday, April 26, 2024. Info.
VICTORIA BULGAKOVA AT FOUR APRIL 5–27, 2024
The maker grew up in Mariupol, Ukraine, and immigrated to the US at age 20. In the 80s, girls in what is now Ukraine wore school uniforms adorned with white collars they had to sew on themselves. Both the uniform and the collar felt like a confinement, something to rebel against. However, years later, memory treats them as objects of deep longing and nostalgia, associated with the most endearing experiences of school years. Bulgakova’s Uniform body of work explores this shift in perspective. What’s more real—our experience in the present or how we end up remembering it in the future? More.
PRELUDES | EMILY CULVER, AT BROOKLYN METAL WORKS THROUGH APRIL 20, 2024
This solo exhibition speculates on a multitude of possibilities by cataloguing catalysts that hover on the cusp of becoming. The amalgamation of machinery and organic anatomy in these hybrid creations questions whether transitions from the mechanical to the natural induce an elevated state of vulnerability and failure. Considering these Pinocchio-esque aspirations, Culver’s works contemplate the implications of (d)evolution and what it can mean to undergo such transformative processes. Info.
MAD ABOUT JEWELRY IS ONLY A MONTH AWAY
MAD About Jewelry is the Museum’s annual benefit awards celebration and sale of contemporary jewelry. Featuring designs from 50 emerging and acclaimed international jewelry artists, MAD About Jewelry has become known as the ultimate pop-up shop for contemporary, artist-made jewelry, where collectors and jewelry enthusiasts have the rare opportunity to meet and acquire pieces from some of the most innovative creators in the field. The benefit preview and presentation of the MAD About Jewelry Awards takes place Saturday, May 4, 2024. The sale continues Sunday, May 5, through Wednesday, May 8. Info.
WORKS FOR LEGNICA EXHIBITION HAVE BEEN SELECTED …
In March, the jury deliberations of the 32nd International Jewellery Competition EMPATHY took place. The jury, including Prof. Sławomir Fijałkowski, Mari Ishikawa, Charon Kransen, Michalina Owczarek-Siwak, and Doreen Timmers, evaluated works from a record number of countries: 45. The competition received more than 500 works by 295 artists. Works by 44 artists from 20 countries have been selected for the post-competition exhibition. The list of those who qualified can be found on the Legnica Jewellery Festival Silver website. Info.
… AND THE 2024 LEGNICA JEWELLERY FESTIVAL SILVER STARTS MAY 10
This year’s program includes more than a dozen exhibitions of contemporary art jewelry and numerous accompanying events. The grand opening, which will include exhibition vernissages, the award gala of the 32nd International Jewellery Competition EMPATHY, a popular science session, and happenings, will take place between May 10 and 11, 2024. Organized by the Gallery of Art in Legnica (Poland). Info.
AJF MEMBER UTE DECKER WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE VENICE BIENNALE
UK artist jeweler Ute Decker will be in the exhibition Jewellery by Sculptors and Painters, presented by Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery Hotel Monaco, Venice, April 15–21, 2024. This will be the first selling exhibition of art jewelry to be launched in conjunction with the opening of the Venice Biennale, showcasing over 40 pieces by world-renowned contemporary artists and jewelry designers, including Decker, Giampaolo Babetto, Enrico Castellani, Jannis Kounellis, Gigi Mariani, Giulio Paolini, Giuseppe Penone, Sophia Vari, and Giorgio Vigna. Alongside the exhibition, there will be an opportunity to meet Decker and the artists Ileana Boubouli (Sophia Vari’s daughter) and Gigi Mariani, who will be present to share the stories behind their pieces. Get info/times.
MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT’S PRIVATE COLLECTION GOES ON AUCTION
From her distinctive pins to the beautiful fine and decorative arts that populated her Georgetown home and her offices, “The Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright” shines a spotlight on the collecting sensibilities of this deeply influential national and international icon. The pieces will be exhibited in Chicago April 2–9, in NYC May 2–6, and auctioned May 7–8, 2024. Info.
OTHER NEWS
SIERAAD & FRIENDS ADDS A SECOND VENUE
The Synagogue in Buren will enrich the experience and provides a unique ambiance. See contemporary jewelry in this historic venue, a few steps from St Lambert’s Church, with the exhibition of the Potato Collective, a group of artists with backgrounds from China, Ghana, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, and Ireland, all students at Hochschule Idar-Oberstein. Sieraad & Friends takes place May 24–26, 2024. Info.
ICE COLD: AN EXHIBITION OF HIP-HOP JEWELRY, OPENS MAY 9, 2024
An exhibition that celebrates hip-hop’s cultural influence through spectacular custom-made jewelry worn by some of its most iconic stars, Ice Cold will feature dozens of stunning jewelry pieces that trace the history of hip-hop from the 1980s to today. Guest curated by Vikki Tobak, journalist and author of Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History. At the American Museum of Natural History, in NYC. Info.
AUCTION OF MYSTERIOUS COLLECTOR’S JEWELRY, MAY 2–16
The pieces on auction in “Iconic Jewels: Her Sense of Style” were collected by an inspirational woman with an educated eye who is passionate about jewelry and design. This collection represents different styles and volumes from the nineteenth century to modern times. The collector built the collection throughout her life. This sale could become a source of inspiration for young collectors wishing to collect jewelry as part of history, states Sotheby’s. Info. Still more info.
BRO-BROOCHES AT THE OSCARS
Another story about men wearing brooches, this time at the Oscars. The question now is … was there a guy there not wearing a brooch? More.
WE HOPE ART JEWELRY WILL APPRECIATE LIKE THIS!
Thinking it was costume jewelry, a woman in the UK bought a brooch by the Victorian Gothic Revival architect William Burges for £20, and after realizing what it truly is sold it for 31,000. More.
DIVORCE RINGS—A NEW JEWELRY CATEGORY?
There are engagement rings, anniversary jewels, and push presents, but how about something for the painful times when we might need it most? The model Emily Ratajkowski may have invented a new category of jewels, writes JCK, by using the stones in her engagement ring to create two new rings now that she has divorced. While reusing stones isn’t historically new, will this start a trend in divorce rings? More.
EVENTS
“ASSEMBLING INTELLIGENCE” SYMPOSIUM, APRIL 24–25, 2024
The multidisciplinary symposium, organized by HEAD – Genève, will bring together artists, designers, and researchers to highlight a spectrum of alternative definitions for “artificial intelligence.” The discussions aim to introduce diversity into the otherwise monochromatic and frequently cynical perspectives manifested in mainstream corporate AI models. Info.
KORU8: JUNE 4–8, 2024
The Finnish Jewellery Art Association’s international contemporary jewelry triennial presents contemporary jewelry and brings together the artists, lecturers, researchers, and people with an interest in it to take part in exhibitions, seminars, and workshops. Info.
OPPORTUNITIES
WOMEN’S JEWELRY ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS
The Women’s Jewelry Association Foundation offers a variety of scholarships and grants to support the professional growth and educational endeavors of women in the jewelry industries. Deadline: April 30, 2024. Info.
APPLY FOR THE BKV PRIZE 2025
The international competition covers all areas of applied arts. Artisans under age 35 may participate. First prize: 3,000. Applications accepted through July 26, 2024. Info.
LEARN ABOUT JEWELRY HISTORY ESSENTIALS: 1880–PRESENT
To truly comprehend the current state of jewelry, you must explore its historical roots. During five 2-hour slide lectures, study 145 years of jewelry history. The exploration will be guided by an examination of societal dynamics that contributed to the creation of jewelry, with a focus on trends in fashion, modern art, evolving women’s roles, political shifts, and innovations in technology. No previous knowledge of jewelry history required. Taught by Bella Neyman at Brooklyn Metal Works. Mondays, May 6–June 10, 2024, 6:30-8:30 p.m., cost: $500. Info.
OPEN CALL: THE IV LATIN AMERICAN CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY BIENNIAL
The exhibition Persistence of Desire aims to showcase a selection of works where the artist is seen persisting in a desire. This could be a gesture, a material, a form, a concept, a dream, an impulse. The biennial will take place at Ruta Brava Circuit: Spaces for Art Jewelry, in Santiago, Chile, October 3 to 10, 2024. Deadline: April 20, 2024. Info.
OPEN CALL, ROMANIAN JEWELRY WEEK
ROJW 2024 registrations are now open for designers in Romania and worldwide, emerging as well as established, that activate in the field of contemporary jewelry. Deadline: April 26, 2024. The jewelry week will take place in Bucharest October 2–6, 2024. Info.
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