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Otto Künzli. A Jewellery Lecture at Die Neue Sammlung

Lectures  /  MunichSchmuckFair2026  /  08 Mar 2026
Published: 03.02.2026
Brooch: Mi, Myself And Eye by Otto Künzli.Steel. 1993. Otto Künzli
Brooch: Mi, Myself And Eye, 1993
Steel
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Intro
Otto Künzli is one of the most renowned and respected jewellers working today. The Swiss-trained, Munich-based artist has created truly iconic examples of contemporary jewellery. Künzli’s minimalist, yet meticulously crafted work references cultural phenomena, utilising the power of metaphor and iconography with wit and sophistication.
O on O
Amounts to a highly abbreviated trip through my exploration of the topic of jewelry, a process that has lasted almost 60 years. It is an attempt to convey my thoughts, my deliberations, my doubts, my convictions, my process of searching, and of finding. And of questioning everything and starting out anew. And possibly most importantly of never losing my sense of humor along the way!

Geographically speaking it has been a trip from Zurich to Munich, to the Netherlands, to the USA, to New Zealand, Australia, and Japan; with important stops along the way, in Belgrade, Jerusalem, Cairo, London, Stockholm, in Geneva and Lausanne, in China and in Seoul.
Now it would be a tall task to tell all of that in one story. And I will therefore not present a comprehensive report but instead present you with what is essentially a puzzle consisting of fragments.
And I will foreground those themes and questions that I continue to tussle with.



Where: Pinakothek der Moderne, Ernst von Siemens-Auditorium.
When: 08.03.2026, 11:00 h.
Language: Lecture in English. Free entrance.
 
Piece: Kiki – Beauty Gallery by Otto Künzli.Cibachrome PS. 1984.75 x 62,5 cm.Photo by: © VG BildKunst. Otto Künzli
Piece: Kiki – Beauty Gallery, 1984
Cibachrome PS
75 x 62,5 cm
Photo by: © VG BildKunst
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Photograph: Who Nose? by Otto Künzli.Postcard.. 2012.10.5 x 14.8 cm.Photo by: Therese Hilbert. Otto Künzli
Photograph: Who Nose?, 2012
Postcard.
10.5 x 14.8 cm
Photo by: Therese Hilbert
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Brooch: Die Knochigen_Bone XVI by Otto Künzli.Bone (water buffalo), gold. 2024.6.6 x 5.1 x 0.45 cmUnique piece. Otto Künzli
Brooch: Die Knochigen_Bone XVI, 2024
Bone (water buffalo), gold
6.6 x 5.1 x 0.45 cm
© By the author. Read Klimt02.net Copyright.