Lectures. Florence Jewellery Week

• Contemporary Jewelry. Innovation or Mimesis? Insights from Germany

/ 11.00 – 12.00 /
Barbara Schmidt, Jewellery designer, director of the Akademie für Gestaltung, Munich.

 

• A Cosmos of African Jewellery- Traditional and Contemporary Concepts in Black African and Muslim Societies

/ 12.00 – 13.00 /
Martina Dempf, Jewellery Designer and Social Anthropologist, Berlin.

 

• A New Silk Road - The common language ad crossing fertilizations of Craftsmanship

/ 14.00 – 15.00 /
Gabriele Goretti, Istituto Europeo di Design (IED)

 

• The Development of Chinese Contemporary Jewelry

/ 15.00 – 16.00 /
Shannon Guo, Associate Professor, Jewelry and Metals Studio, Fine Arts College of Shanghai University and Artistic Director Two Cities Gallery, Shanghai.

 

• The Marriage of Ornaments, Symbolism and the Hindu Woman

/ 16.00  – 17.00 /
Shruti Agrawal, Gunjan Shruti Jewellery, Mumbai.

 

• New craft. Artigianalità e gioiello contemporaneo

/ 17.00 – 18.00 /
Maria Cristina Bergesio, Art critic and teacher, Florence.


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About Martina Dempf / African Affairs – Jewellery Statements.

An exhibition of African jewellery reflecting the continent’s extraordinary cultural and ethnic diversity. A paradigmatic selection presents significant works from six countries: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal and Sudan.
The chosen works expose selected African cultures, giving an insight into Black African, Christian and Islamic cultures. They also show a great diversity in material, technique, and aesthetic value. At the same time, each piece should be understood as a personal statement by the maker (known or unknown) and the wearer - in the context of the particular cultural background.
Another aspect of the exhibition deals with the interaction between a western contemporary jeweller – myself – and African jewellery artists. I conducted several jewellery design workshops in various African as well as in Asian countries. As an example, I present jewellery from a design workshop in Rwanda in 2007, and a few pieces designed and made by myself, inspired by my research in Africa.
A complementary photo selection accompanies the exhibits. Exhibits were collected and photographs taken during socio-anthropological field research and design workshops from 1982 to 2014.



About Shannon Guo / Bio.

Shannon Guo, received her MA and MFA degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA.  She majored in Jewelry and Metals, minored in ceramics.  Her works have been exhibited both nationally and internationally and have received multiple awards. She is currently running the jewelry and metals studio at the College of Fine Arts of Shanghai University. She is also the curator and co-owner of the well-known contemporary crafts gallery --“twocities gallery” in Shanghai, the vice director for the Jewelry Design committee of Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of China, Vice director for both Metals and Glass Committee of the Chinese Arts and Crafts Association, Vice Director for the Shanghai Jewelry Association.  The executive director of the Shanghai Industrial Designers Association.
She was one of the experts who wrote The National Occupation Qualification Standard for jewelry designers. She has published four textbooks on jewelry design and making. She was also juried several national jewelry design competitions.