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.