Review about FRAME: Eleven Selected Galleries at Handwerk & Design 2019

The Handwerk & Design fair presents high craftsmanship, first-class craftsmanship and artistic design at the International Crafts Fair in Hall B1. The highlights and, of course, the public favorites are the international special shows SCHMUCK, TALENTE, MEISTER DER MODERNE, and FRAME. This is where the international design-oriented scene meets! Crossing the Hall B1, at the very end, you will find a treat for your (already stressed) eyes, the FRAME, meeting point for an international gallery scene.

 

• A sneak peek in numbers:
  
  The International Craft Fair consists of a total of 7 exhibition halls with 74,000 square metres. Around 1,000 exhibitors took part in this event with a turnover of more than 36 million euros. Within the IHM the "Handwerk & Design" always takes place in an exhibition hall on 11.000qm. Around 250 exhibitors from around 17 nations took part. With the special shows EXEMPLA, TALENTE, MEISTER DER MODERNE, there are around 30 countries.
  
  
  FRAME represented 11 galleries from 8 countries, with 4 new galleries from new countries: China, Korea and New Zealand.

The frame exhibition forms a U-shaped frame around the special shows of Handwerk & Design. With eleven internationally leading galleries, it is mostly a highlight for connoisseurs of contemporary jewellery and artistic objects. FRAME was founded in 2009 by the Gallerist Marie José van den Hout from Galerie Marzee. Her aim was to add another dimension to the iconic special shows.

Walking trough the Halls of the Fair, i noticed a little change this year. The International Craft Fair 2019 was not as big as the years before, but FRAME was growing, 11 selected galleris and one Bookshop took part. Two galleries were joining for the first time, a gallery from China and one from Korea. This was definetly a win for the fair, and the special shows, so they could demonstrate their international reach.



Fair Stand of the Korea Craft & Design Foundation at FRAME 2019


Lets start with the fresh faces at this years fair: The Korea Craft & Design Foundation promotes the work of Korean craftsmen, designers, artists and experts and wants to preserve the Korean cultural heritage and strengthen the role of Korean design worldwide. At Frame, they represented 21 Korean Artists for the first time. The represented artists have been a mix of Korean artists from all over the world, well known as well as newcomers.


Inner view of the KCDF Stand at FRAME 2019


The next newbie at this year's fair was Froots & Nogart from China. 
I was lucky to meet Noga Zhang Shahar, curator in charge of Froots Gallery, located in China. For everyone who is not familiar with the gallery scene in Asia: FROOTS Gallery has branches in Shanghai and 798 Art Zone in Beijing. It also has an international art agency in Tel Aviv, Israel and is a platform of international artists in China. It represents young and established as well as emerging and world-renowned artists and is part of Froots and Nogart, which is an art dealing brand in China.



The fair stand of Froots Gallery at Frame 2019 in Munich


At this year's FRAME, FROOTS Gallery decided to present an ongoing and traveling exhibition, which is called „The Palace of Shattered Vessels: Chinese Porcelain and Contemporary Jewellery“.  The project brings together East and West, classic art and contemporary jewelry. Forty leading international artists were given each a shard, or shards of ancient Chinese porcelain vessels, with which to create their own unique jewel. Asking where the porcelain comes from, the answer is: In the Area of Jingdezhen, where the center of Chinese porcelain fabrication is situated, you can find them in your backyard, in the gardens, and, basically wherever you decide to dig in the ground. They date from the golden age of Chinese ceramic ware - the sixteenth through the eighteenth century - and they come in all colors and styles from the Underglaze Red and Famille Rose to the most renowned Blue and White porcelain.


Peter Hogeboom Brooch


Stand of Froots Gallery at Frame 2019, The Palace of Shattered Vessels: Contemporary Jewellery and objects from China


The pieces have been found and donated by one of the brand's founders Angela Lu. The result: A hundred and forty artworks that express the style and thought of individual artists. Following the Munich Frame 2019 at Handwerk & Design Fair, the Palace of Shattered Vessels will head on a global tour, beginning at the FROOTS Gallery in Shanghai.

Talking about the first experience Noga Zhang Shahar made with her exhibition at Frame 2019, she has some visions and questions for the future:

"The Munich Jewelry Week and FRAME provide a wonderful opportunity for us to meet jewelry artists, gallery managers, curators, and critics.
I enjoyed very much at FRAME and learned a lot from other galleries. The fair organizers did a good job to make the exhibitors feel comfortable- the food and drink area was great! Hope Chinese dishes will be added to their menu (laughs).
So many art jewelry students came to our booth! I was so thrilled to see our exhibition became a classroom. At the same time, I hope more art jewelry fans and collectors will come too in the future.
As a project exhibition, our purpose was beyond the sale.
We sold well. But it was not to local people or European or American collectors as we expected, but to our Chinese collectors.
We try to figure out what the reason was. Maybe you and the audience of Klimt can help us to find the answer?"
 
 
Let's step back from the porcelain, and travel to the next stand at frame, which is a colorful group of makers from New Zealand, represented by The National.  The National is a dedicated dealer gallery owned by Director Caroline Billing.



Stand view of The National at Frame 2019 in Munich, a group of New Zealand Makers, Piecs on the table by Craig McIntosh



Stand view of The National at Frame 2019 in Munich, a group of New Zealand Makers


Specializing in contemporary jewellery by New Zealand and selected international artists, The National represents more than 40 jewellers, and also exhibits sculptural ceramics, glass, and object-based works. The gallery started in 2004 and celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. In 2019, for the first time, The National is representing its jewellery artists at Frame. Bringing together the work of fourteen internationally and nationally recognized jewellers from New Zealand, this presentation at Frame provides a snapshot of current practice and new work, building on the growing presence of New Zealand jewellery at Munich Jewellery Week over the last decade.



Visitors and jewellery of The National in Munich; Pieces by Moniek Schrijer



Visitors and jewellery of The National in Munich; Jewellery pieces by Octavia Cook


Another Gallery from New Zealand was represented at Frame for the first time in 2019, Quoil. It was catching the attention of many viewers, because of the colorful selection and the invitation to touch all jewellery, by the representatives.



Philippa Gee, founder of Quoil Gallery from New Zealand at the Frame exhibition in Munich


Owned by Phillipa Gee since 2007 and based in Wellington for more than 20 years, QUOIL promotes contemporary jewellers and their work. The jewellery gallery represents both New Zealand and international jewellery artists who have completed a tertiary study in jewellery design and manufacture. Before jewellery is selected the gallery of Philippa, it undergoes a rigorous selection process by the galleries staff, who are qualified jewellers and jewellery makers in their own right. Quoil says they prefer creativity over expensive materials. So, their range of wearable art jewellery includes pieces made from truck inner tubes, recycled PET plastic bottles, and aluminum.



Quoil, a gallery from New Zealand presenting their colorful jewellery at Frame, during Handwerk & Design in Munich, works by Philippa Gee, Kath Ingliy, Jane Riley and Fabiana Gadano


For the second time, TACTILe Gallery and Gallery Anick Zuffery were representing their artists during the fair. Since 1998, the TACTILe Gallery has been dedicated to contemporary Swiss and European contemporary author's jewellery. For Fabrice Schaefer and Annick Zuffery, the author's jewel is the expression of a quest for aesthetics and new preciousness that places it outside the industrial context.


Visitors at the Stand of TACTILe Gallery at Frame 2019 in Munich


The gallery presented unique jewellery created by internationally renowned contemporary artists, some of whom work exclusively with TACTILe in Switzerland. The exquisite collection of wearable jewellery, made with incredible technical skills and a special kind of humor was an enjoyable eye catcher at the fair.



Humoristic necklace by Akiko Kurihara


Special attention was given to a project from HEAD Genève, the art and design school where Fabrice Schaefer is teaching in the jewellery department. The project of his students resulted in a selection of abstract, poetic and humoristic Christmas trees, wearable as brooches, from many different materials.



The project works from HEAD Genève


Recurrent every year, Galerie Spektrum was represented at the Fair. Jürgen Eickhoff founded the Gallery in 1981 and is running it with his wife Marianne Schliwinski in Karlsruhe. The gallery showed 16 of their artists at the fair, but not only jewellery, as well as objects and drawings.



The fair stand of Galerie Spektrum from Karlsruhe



Brooches from Hermann Hermsen; Marianne Schliwinski artist and gallerist at Galerie Spektrum talking with a visitor


Both gallerists make sure to dedicate a special area of their stand to one artist each year. This year's solo show was given to Andrea Wagner. In the ongoing series "...And The Architect Is Still Facing His Jardin Interieur" the gallery showcased a diversity of drawings and mainly brooches. The pieces are all about architecture and nature in a complete symbiosis of creating a single entity which as such doesn't yet exist in reality, so to speak a playful metaphor facing up to one's secret dreams and ideas.



The special show of Andrea Wagner: ...And The Architect Is Still Facing His Jardin Interieur which is really appreciated by the both gallerists



Brooch by Andrea Wagner


Important for an ongoing project and growing fair as Handwerk & Design is as well some critical feedback and ideas, as from Jürgen Eickhoff, owner of Galerie Spektrum:

"In my experience, the service is not very good compared to other fairs. The lighting situation is simply bad, the obsolete Erco system is not suitable forjewellery stand lighting. At art- Karlsruhe this situation is solved much better and more contemporary.
Also at the exhibitor dinner in Karlsruhe (which is called Jewellery Dinner in Munich) the food is free for the exhibitors. Only the invited guests have to pay. These may be little things, but they make a difference for me, but in fact, it is positive in Munich that there is food during the fair!
A negative tendency is, that every artist should only be represented once. This goes against the spirit and the idea of a fair, which should make a variety of offers possible and not create a monopoly situation. In addition, it is a disadvantage for the customers who are deprived of a greater choice by this restriction.
Munich is certainly an option to present the gallery program at the time of IHM, I will come again as long as it is financially worth it."


Not to miss, as every year was Galerie Rosemarie Jäger. She proofed her curatorial skills while juxtaposing selected jewellery items, silversmithing, and ceramics. 
Her stand usually stands out because of a brilliant selection and a calm, almost poetic look, inviting the audience to see different approaches of the same media, but what the represented artists have all in common is the extremely high technical skills. Rosemarie Jäger loves to play with the audience's minds, she shows vessels and vases, some of them of porcelain as thin as paper, others made from steel and almost unmovable.



Fair stand at Frame 2019 with Vessels from different artists



Rosemarie Jäger and artist Jakyung Shin



Detail view of some Vessels from Galerie Rosemarie Jäger


As well as ceramics and vessels, she admires silversmithing. This passion was manifested last year through an amazing collection of spoons. Some of them appeared again at this fair, completed trough exquisite chasing works from different artists. With the selection made, she wanted to explain the beauty in different ways of metalworking. Some of the vessels are traditional, almost not as interesting as the more contemporary ones on the first view. But thinking about the skills, technique and time invested by the craftsmen, the quiet and simple pieces conquer your heart, not at least because of the contagious passion of Rosemarie Jäger. 



Detail view of vessels, and jewellery from Helen Britton


This year's jewellery collection was consisting mainly of unique pieces, made especially for the gallery. 



Piece by Bettina Dittlmann





Already at Frame for the 4th time, and always a magnet for the audience is Atta Gallery from Bangkok, Thailand.
As in the years before, Atta Gallery stands out because of her colorful, rebellious collection. Diverse types of work could be seen and appreciated at Atty's stand, as her artists come from various training, locations, and cultural backgrounds.



Stand view of Atta Gallery at frame 2019



Paper works by Romrawin  Pipatnudda from Thailand


The jewellery and objects are representing an unconventional style and are often really conceptional.  Each artist employs an interesting and uniquely personal way of expressing personal values and creative ideas through a small group of contemporary jewelry works.
It is interesting to see people from different geographic locations, languages and cultural backgrounds come together and get connected through pieces of contemporary jewelry. Atta Gallery aims to expose Asian/Pacific artists to the European and international audience.



Ring by Pornrudee Bonyapan, brooches on the wall by Yuki Sumiya from Japan



Artist and gallery assistant Pornrudee Bonyapan at the Atta Gallery stand wearing a rose pendant by Jess Dare from Australia.

 
Exceptional to see, because no Gallerie but a book shop, specialized in contemporary European art and craft publications, Chrome Yellow Books by Susan and Michael Collins. Existing already since 10 years this year, Chrome Yellow Books found its beginnings at the Centre for applied Arts library. The Company marks an important step in the right direction. It is good to know passionate people supporting the contemporary art and jewellery scene, and represent them at at the most important art fairs across Europe, such as Collect, Newdesigners and AFEDAP as well as symposiums and conferences, appearing at events and providing a platform for art and craft books outside of museums, libraries and galleries.



Fair stand of Chrome Yellow Books at Frame



Selection of books at the fair stand


Next one on our route through the Frame exhibition, Galerie Marzee.
Galerie Marzee was founded in 1978 as a gallery for contemporary jewellery, and has since become one of the principal promoters of contemporary jewellery and silverware. Since 1995 the gallery has been housed in a former granary on Nijmegen’s waterfront. With 850 square meters of exhibition space, Galerie Marzee is one of the largest galleries in the Netherlands, and the largest gallery for modern art jewellery in the world. Marie-José van den Hout is the creative mastermind behind Frame.
Schmuck, Exempla, Talente and Meister Der Moderne, the other special shows at Handwerk & Design were already well-established within the Handwerksmesse when she started Frame in 2009. She wanted to add another dimension to these exhibitions and together with Wolfgang Lösche, director of Schmuck and then Dieter Dohr, the director of the Handwerksmesse she initiated Frame for the first time.



Galerie Marzee staff at the Frame exhibition 2019


As in the years before, Marzee has the biggest stand at the Frame exhibition. The stand is divided into two sections. The bigger part is dedicated to a special collection of already well-established artists represented by Galerie Marzee, thoughtfully selected by Marie José.



Stand view of Marzee at Frame 2019



Detail view of jewellery pieces at Marzee



Brooch from Christine Matthias at Marzee


The smaller part of the stand is dedicated to the Newcomers: Marzee for Starters. In this Area, Marie José presents works from freshly graduated students, from jewellery schools around the world.



Marzee for starters stand view



Work from MJ Tyson at Marzee for starters


For the Gallery, who is infact one of the original founders of the fair, 2019 has been interesting and successful, as Lizzie Atkins, assistant at Galerie Marzee told us:

"Frame was, as ever, a fantastic event for Galerie Marzee. We saw many of our collectors, particularly from America, and were pleased to welcome a number of new clients. Work from both our established artists and the Marzee for Starters graduate project proved popular with the audience and we were delighted that two of our artists were awarded prizes during Schmuck: Junwon Jung (KR) – Herbert Hofmann Prize and David Huycke (BE) – Bayerischer Staatspreis, whilst Manami Aoki (JP), a Marzee for Starters participant, was one of the winners of this year’s Talente awards."



Next, to the Stand of Galerie Marzee another famous name is represented. Galerie RA is located in Amsterdam and at Frame already since the beginnings.


Willem Hoogstede and Paul Derrez at Galerie Ra´s fair stand at Frame 2019


Galerie Ra specializes in contemporary jewellery design and vessels but also regularly features objects. These are showcased in changing exhibitions held every two months, in the permanent collection and at annual trade fairs like Object Rotterdam, Frame and Collect.
Galerie Ra represents around 50 international artists and designers. Innovation, proven talent and continuity form the basis of the gallery’s selection process. At these years fair, the gallery showed a mix of well known and newcomer artists. Paul Derrez decided to point out 10 Designers, representing 10 years of Frame and coincidentally, 10 gallery artists selected for Schmuck.
Typical of Ra is the broad range of the show, regarding approach, design, and use of materials. The shown work is usually unique.



Wall of fame: Galerie Ra shows the 10 selected artists fro Schmuck represented by the gallery

​
Sophia Björkman from Platina, showed as well artists represented in the Gallery on a regular base. The selection of works at the stand showed a high dedication to technical skills and a certain coolness.

Asking her about this years experience, Sofia was enthusiastic:

"I love the craziness and I’ve learned how to navigate. I have developed a technique, similar to the ones you can use for studies and sometimes I feel like a scanner. I have to decide before what to focus on, otherwise, my mind and body would explode. To be at the fair means that I meet a lot of people. Almost everyone goes there. Even if the meetings are short, they are important. We exchange thoughts that I bring with me and start conversations that can be continued. Every year I learn something new, its to early to say what it is this year but it will be clear for me soon I guess."

 

Stand view of Platina Gallery from Sweden



Stand view of the Frame exhibtion 2019; Works by Christer Jonsson


Last but not least, the impressive selection of JOYA Barcelona. Paulo Ribeiro, founder of the fair was representing selected artists from the last years of his fair. He brought special attention to Joya Award Winner, Sara Barbanti as well as to some of the Enjoia´t Award winners, such as Jeemin Jamie Chung which have been presented really prominent and visible on tables in the entrance area of his stand.



Paulo Riberio, founder of Joya Barcelona presenting works during Frame 2019



Works by Jeemin Jamie Chung


During the time I have been at the stand of JOYA Barcelona, the works of Sara Barbanti have been discussed by the audience, because of its special aesthetics. It is appealing to touch, challenge thoughts on wearability and fragility. Her research is based on the relationship between materials, how they communicate is extremely important. For her, the imperfection of a piece becomes the strength of it.



PauloThe awarded works of Sara Barbanti



Paulo Ribeiro and his Assitant at the Joya stand at Frame in Munich


JOYA Barcelona was for the first time in Munich, and I have to confess, even though each gallery knows how to surprise me with fantastic works of talented artists, it was good to see some fresh jewellery, none of the other galleries are showing.

Talking with Paulo Ribeiro some weeks after his experience at FRAME, he says: 

"Internationale Handwerkmesse is an amazing melting point for crafts lovers and gives to the specialised audience and general public the possibility of interaction with gallerists and artists as any other place in the world. JOYA was presented for the first time and we had a very positive answer from collectors and galleries, presenting a selection of artists awarded at the event in which showed their personal vision and expression in art jewellery. The energy around the event is very good, from organisers to the general public were very interested and glad to discover new pieces, techniques, and concepts."

About the author

Carolin Denter completed her vocational training as Goldsmith at Master School for Craftsmen in Kaiserslautern in 2013.  In 2017 she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Gemstone and Jewellery at University of Applied Science Trier, Campus Idar-Oberstein. After her graduation, she started working as Marketing- and Designmanagement Assistance at Campus Idar-Oberstein at the Gemstone and Jewellery Departement. Since 2015 she is working at Klimt02.net, an online platform for the communication of contemporary jewelery. Trough articles and interviews she is developing critical subjects on the field of contemporary jewellery.  Carolin is constantly working on her own jewellery, which has been exhibited among Europe.