Slovenian Jewelry Week 2026

Slovenian Jewelry Week is an internationally recognized platform dedicated to contemporary jewelry, connecting artistic practice, craftsmanship, research, education, and international exchange. The 2026 edition brings together 152 artists from 35 countries, confirming the festival’s strong international reach and its key role in the global contemporary jewelry landscape.

The central venue of SIJW 2026 is Center Rog in Ljubljana, which serves as the main exhibition, production, and educational hub of the festival. In addition to the main curated exhibition, the program includes international guest exhibitions, institutional collaborations, residencies, lectures, masterclasses, award presentations, and a closing ceremony.
Participants were selected by an international expert jury, which also awards prizes for outstanding artistic achievements.
The SIJW 2026 jury consists of Martina Lončar (Head of the Jury), Petra Bole, Tanja Pak, Olga Košica, Nichka Marobin, Giò Carbone, and Arata Fuchi.

Slovenian Jewelry Week is not only a presentation of contemporary jewellery—it is also a celebration of culture, innovation, sustainability, and the diversity of global and Slovenian creative expression. The additional programme offers workshops, lectures, masterclasses, and guided tours, developed in collaboration with museums, galleries, schools, and universities across Slovenia. The programme focuses on education, knowledge exchange, and sustainable and innovative approaches, with a strong emphasis on students, emerging designers, and professionals, while strengthening the visibility and professional network of contemporary jewellery.

You are invited to experience the many sensations, meanings, and stories that contemporary jewelry evokes.


Main Exhibitions

Ljubljana
SIJW 2026 Main Exhibition – SUBSTANCE / REIMAGINED
Venue: Center Rog, Ljubljana
Dates: 26 March–18 April 2026
Press conference: 26 March 2026, at 12:00
Official opening: Friday, 27 March 2026, at 19:00

Center Rog is the main exhibition and program venue of SIJW 2026. The main curated exhibition presents 55 selected artists, exploring contemporary interpretations of
materiality, transformation, and the relationship between the physical, symbolic, and digital worlds.

Curators: Olga Košica, Dalija Sega, Katarina Šporar Češarek, Nina Podobnikar, Metka Mikuletič, Rok Marinšek
Exhibition Coordinator (Center Rog): Anja Radovič


Izola
International Guest Exhibition – SERENITY
DRAT Gallery, Izola
Dates: 17 March – 11 April 2026
Opening reception with artists and guests: Saturday, 28 March 2026, at 11:00
Curator: Luis Acosta
Exhibition organization and installation: Sandra Kocjančič in Tina Cotič

Serenity is an international touring exhibition presented as a guest project within the 5th Slovenian Jewelry Week 2026. The exhibition brings together 32 international contemporary jewelry designers, offering a refined and contemplative perspective on jewelry as a medium of inner balance, emotional resonance, and sustainable thinking.

The exhibition features brooches, rings, bracelets, and earrings characterized by clean lines, organic forms, and a restrained color palette. Carefully selected materials establish a subtle dialogue between the ethereal and the tangible, inviting reflection and introspection rather than visual dominance.


Slovenj Gradec
Exhibition – Pet let sijaja/Five years of brilliance
Venue: Koroški pokrajinski muzej, Slovenj Gradec
Dates: 26 March–3 May 2026
Opening: Thursday, 26 March 2026, at 18:00
Curators: Aleksandra Čas, Sara Mermal

The Awarded Artists Exhibition presents a curated selection of recipients of Slovenian Jewelry Week awards from recent editions, highlighting artistic excellence, continuity, and long-term impact within the Slovenian contemporary jewelry scene.

Exhibitors:
Anže Mrak (Best Young Designer 2023),
Martina Lončar (Best Slovenian Designer 2023),
Huberto Široka (Special Achievement Award 2023),
Kristina Drnovšek (Best Young Designer 2024),
Sanda Vidmar (Best Slovenian Designer 2024),
Christoph Steidl Porenta (Special Achievement Award 2024),
Sara Mermal (Best Young Designer 2025),
Katja Marolt (Best Slovenian Designer 2025),
Zdenka Šamec (Special Achievement Award 2025).

This exhibition emphasizes the festival’s role in nurturing emerging talent, recognizing established excellence, and building a sustained professional platform for contemporary jewelry in Slovenia.