Schmuck 2020 Catalogue

Book / MunichJewelleryWeek2020 Catalogues Artists Curating

Published: 09.03.2020

Editor:: GHM-Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen mbH

Text by:: Chequita Nahar, Wolfgang Lösche, Gert Bruckner, Antonio Sánchez García, Olga Zobel Biró

Edited by:: Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern

Edited at:: Munich

Edited on:: 2020

Technical data:: 20 x 28.5 cm, Soft cover, 98 pages, German and English.

Price:: from 15 €

Order:: Handwerkskammer für München und Oberbayern

Inner pages.

This catalogue shows all the selected works in SCHMUCK 2020 organized into the Handwerk & Design exhibition. A total of 63 participants from 29 countries are featured in this edtion.

Jewellery, Symbol of Time
When invited to make the selection for the special exhibition “Schmuck 2020”, it felt like a privilege and honor at the same time it made me aware of the significance of making a selection which represents jewellery particularly in the context of ‘art or artist ‘ jewellery in this special show. A significant international platform where renowned as well as young upcoming talented artists and makers present their work. It also made me somewhat sad thinking back about the one person who taught me about jewellery and its broad facets and introduced me to both “Talente” and “Schmuck”. Last year my mentor and dear friend Marjan Unger passed away and I decided that my selection would be dedicated to her.

During one of our last conversations, we talked about the different positions in jewellery and both our wish to see more crossovers in the field and in education. She also emphasized to never deny my perspective on jewellery as symbol of our time, including diversity, interdisciplinarity, quirky makers, material wizards or ‘prutsers’ as she would say. Arriving in Munich and seeing the 802 great applications It became quite clear to me that I would not be able to express my appreciation for all the makers and their work due to the fact I could only select about 60 artists to present their work during the show.

Therefore, I made the decision to make a selection based on both Marjan and my vision on the different positions on jewellery we loved to talk and discuss about. Positions such as a personal view on craftsmanship, with a specific focus on for example metalwork, painting, enamel, and technological innovations. Making as a personal individual position, showing different approaches on skills and the handling of skills. A conceptual view, referring to social matters and individual stories. The connection to fashion (which is still alienated from the field of ‘art’ jewellery), poetic and spiritual approaches (a numerous amount of animals and particularly ducks played a role in pieces, making me wonder if this use of animals signified our search for spirituality in this moment of time). But above all jewellery which reflects upon the way it interacts with its wearer or emphasizes the story of the maker and diversity within the field showing different values in jewellery. Work which touches you by form, idea, its humor, irony, used material, raises questions and making us rethink what jewellry is, where it belongs or the way it communicates to people and individual persons. With this selection, I hoped to have made an overview of these different views on jewellery, my passion for jewellery, the individual stories of the makers and the way jewellery mattered to my dear friend Marjan.

/ In loving memory of Marjan Unger.
Chequita Nahar, Jewellery artist, Dean of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Maastricht, NL