Art Meets Jewellery. 20 Years of Galerie Slavik, Vienna

Renate Slavik and her gallery in Himmelpfortgasse 17:not only in Vienna does one know of them. For twenty years, the learned antiques dealer has presented the highest quality, international contemporary jewellery art with dedication, enthusiasm and charm. Renate Slavik, her vision and in particular the unique space designed by Edmund and Thomas Hoke, has turned the gallery into a central location for the meeting of and exchanges between artists, collectors and museum folk, whose shared interest in jewellery is considered to be all-encompassing and highly exciting. Renate Slavik would hate to miss „two things“: „noticing artistic growth and the moment of discovery, when the gallery visitors find their unmistakeable counterparts“.

In order to make that uniquely personal find possible, Renate Slavik gathers from around the gallery pieces of jewellery which could hardly be more different: the materials range from paper, plastic, sheet metal, wood and glass to the more „nobler ingredients“ such as gold, pearls and diamonds. Alongside works from long-time famous giants of the auteur-jewellery scene – like Giampaolo Babetto, David Watkins, Bruno Martinazzi or Gijs Bakker –works from young up-and-coming talents such as Mirjam Hiller, Isabell Schaupp or Claude Schmitz are always here to be marvelled at. They are a particular concern to the gallery owner: every year for the Grassi Fair, Renate Slavik also donates the Grassi prize, and in doing so acknowledges excellent achievements in jewellery art. She smoothes the path ahead, particularly for young artists, just as she does with the exhibitions in her gallery.

ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers has published a unique book to mark the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of Galerie Slavik. It is a thank you to faithful companions – including many prominent people such as Herta Müller - it is a review of contemporary jewellery art, and it is proof that it pays to do things with love.


With essays by Claudia Lehner-Jobst, Edmund Hoke, Tomas Hoke, Karl Bollmann and Barbara Maas.