Interview with Paulo Ribeiro, Director of JOYA Fair

How was the idea of the fair born? 
JOYA started with fourteen local artists and one gallery (Klimt02 Gallery) at Hotel 1898 in September 2008, as an event to promote contemporary jewellery for the general public of Barcelona. In seven years, we realized JOYA can have a beautiful future, for our surprise, there are much more artists and people interested in art jewellery then we expected and this fact changed our vision and perception towards the event. For the seventh edition, we will present around three hundred artists from more than forty countries, that will transform Barcelona in the epicentre of art jewellery.

 
Is there any reference present to other international event-meetings?
Since 2009 I visit Schmuck almost every year, and for me, this is more than an event, it is an international meeting point. I never learned about, or meet so many interesting people as I do in Munich at Schmuck. It is a privilege to meet artists from all over the world who express their feelings, dreams, fear, and talent into jewellery, it is a discipline I admire and respect, I learn about it more I want to know.


How is Joya contributing to the field of international fairs? What would be Joya’s hallmark?
JOYA represents artist from all over the world, but by proximity and synergies, we concentrate in a very nice selection of south Europe, as every edition, we promote amazing works coming from Italy, Greece, Portugal, and France. Besides, for a few years now, we encourage South American artists to participate at JOYA, as this can be a link between the Latin countries. Another important fact is our collaborations; mostly from south European countries, as we work together with Eliana Negroni from GIF (Gioielli in Fermento) Italy, Dan Persianaru from Autor Bucharest, Rita Marcangelo and Maria Rosa Franzin from Fondazioni Cominelli.

 

• JOYA is 100% private and we followed our ideas with the help of all artists, gallerists, collectives, and schools that believed on us since the beginning. 

How did the fair develop since the first edition? 
We had high notes and some crisis to overcome, as every event I suppose. Spain was for many years in a difficult situation and this made it difficult for us to economically to grow fast, on the other hand, we had small but firm steps, giving us the strength to keep going without any economic support from the governmental institutions. JOYA is 100% private and we followed our ideas with the help of all artists, gallerists, collectives, and schools that believed on us since the beginning. JOYA as a team was always open for suggestions and intellectual support, and I have the feeling we grow as a collective, not only as a fair.


What would be the criteria by which you have been working?
The criteria are the keyword for JOYA, this was the hallmark and goal since day one. Nowadays, if you want to start an event or a fair, you must do because you want to say something important, I mean, on the internet you have all information you need, but you don’t have one thing: criteria. JOYA had in every edition an international jury made by specialists in art jewellery, which select the artists that will be part of the venue, and this gives us a very important base in which we define the event. Besides the artists, we are very careful with all elements that compose the program, since the poster, invitations, communication, catalog, venue, etc. For us the criteria are in every single thing we make, we try to be critical and analytical to improve and to make JOYA a special place to present special art jewellery.


Why should I present my work in Joya?
Before going to present your work, it is important to understand in which sector of jewellery you belong, now we are talking about art jewellery; not high jewellery, not commercial jewellery, not arts and crafts, not fashion jewellery, only art jewellery. If your work fits the parameters of art jewellery and you want to promote your work this way, JOYA is the place to be. We only represent artists, individual or collective artists that are working on the pieces from beginning to the end, this definition gives us the strength to communicate art jewellery as something very personal and special. Most of these artists are working all year long in their atelier and a few times a year they need to communicate, show and present their work for the correct public and media. At JOYA we aim to promote this work with the same criteria as they were selected, as communicating art jewellery is a difficult task but if we do it with care and for the right people, this will give value and correctly spread the news.


Why should I visit the JOYA?
If you are an art jewellery lover, I’m sure you will enjoy what we are preparing every year in Barcelona, as something unique and full of diversity. I enjoy visiting fairs and events all over Europe as this is an important part of my job, and I like to see how different and surprising are each of this events, even when they are on the same venues and organized by the same team, every year you meet different people, have another perception of the pieces, see the evolution of the artists and enjoy the discipline just for the fact that it is beautiful and innovative. I have a big pressure every year with JOYA, a good one that moves me to organize something different in each edition, as I want to provide the same good feelings or surprise effect to the audience, a celebration of creativity, experimentation, techniques, concept and soul.
The most interesting reactions I had when I wear a brooch were at art fairs, like ArtBasel.
 

What target group you didn't reach yet?
Usually, the people that appreciate art jewellery, they also appreciate other disciplines related to the applied arts, this is a fact and an important issue when we search for the correct target. The most interesting reactions I had when I wear a brooch were at art fairs, like ArtBasel. In my opinion, this is the target I would like to have at JOYA, most of the people that gives the value to sculpture could understand how special is a brooch made of wood and leather. Art jewellery can be an intellectual statement and this is something that interests me a lot, to buy art says you appreciate it or you are making an investment, to buy art jewellery it says you appreciate it and understand the value.


How do you see the future of fairs in general? And how do you see Joya’s future?
An epicentre of creativity, a meeting point for creators and buyers, something very well commissioned and done, that’s how I see the future of JOYA as every year we learn how to make a bit better for the next edition. I’m conscious I can’t grow much more than we are now, as growing has its limits and the criteria were always more important than growing, and my goal is to polish and gives a better texture to all of it. A different selection every year, new events, interesting workshops and conferences, important collaborations with institutions and to show to the professionals and the general public how artistic can be a discipline that is until very undercover.


Please recommend us three must see’s for the 2015 edition.
Bijou en Jeu at Disseny HUB Barcelona, coming especially for JOYA, Metissage curated by Nichka Marobin and the work of Gigi Mariani as he prepared something extremely special for JOYA 2015, I hope you all enjoy it!