FERROcity. A contemporary exhibition of Iron in the City in Shanghai

Artist list

Dauvit Alexander, Marianne Anderson, Jivan Astfalck, Stephen Bottomley, Tim Carson, Rachael Colley, Bettina Dittlmann, Christine Graf, Joohee Han, Kirsten Haydon, Jeremy Hobbins, Michael Jank, Bridie Lander, Anna Lorenz, Drew Markou, Toni Mayner, Simone Nolden, Sarah O’Hana, Jo Pond, Jo Pudelko, Rebecca Steiner, Elizabeth Turrell

This exhibition brings together fascinating artistic responses to the theme of iron by twenty-two contemporary makers, including works by academic staff from Birmingham’s eminent School of Jewellery and invited international artists.

Iron is a material that has become synonymous with human life and civilisation and as such has become embedded in both our language and understanding of the world.
 
FERROcity showcases a breadth of approaches to this fascinating but familiar material. Ideas explore the interpretation and influence of Iron as the catalyst, material, and fundamental element of life, culminating in contemporary metalwork and jewellery ranging from steel vessels to recycled iron nail jewellery. Alongside these gemological samples and photography taken on specialist, microscopes have been commissioned from the Gemmology department at the School of Jewellery which captures the transformative effect iron has on the colouration of gemstones.
 
The show opened in Germany at the Museum Reich der Kristalle, Mineralogical State Collection, Munich and ran in tandem with the city’s international jewellery fair ‘Inhorgenta’ in February 2019 and ‘International Jewellery Week’ and ‘Schmuck’ exhibitions in March 2019. Then travelled to the Vittoria Street Gallery, Birmingham, United Kingdom during April 2019. In October 2019 FERROcity makes its way to China, to be exhibited in Beijing at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology and in Shanghai at the Academy of International Visual Arts.