Hubertus von Skal, Fly brooch, 1967, in the New exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich

Here at AJF we have spent a bit of time talking about Schmuck, the week of jewelry-related events that takes place in Munich every March. (You can read American jeweler Doug Bucci’s report by clicking here and here, and our recent report from Australian jeweler Zoe Brand by clicking here.) In 2010 one of the notable happenings was the series of exhibitions dealing with contemporary jewelry at Die Neue Sammlung (the International Design Museum) in Germany. (To visit the museum’s website, click here.) The big news was German jeweler Karl Fritsch’s exhibition New in the Danner Rotunda, a purpose-built wing in Die Neue Sammlung’s Pinakothek der Moderne (the Munich branch of the museum) funded by the Danner Foundation.

The New exhibition, curated by Karl Fritsch, at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

According to the museum’s publicity:

Karl Fritsch, a protagonist from the international jewelry scene, has realigned the Danner Rotunda as a curator. Since 2004, Die Neue Sammlung has been showcasing contemporary international jewelry art in the Pinakothek der Moderne. This means that for the first time one of the most varied contemporary forms of artistic expression has found a permanent home in a museum of this kind, alongside art, architecture, graphic art and design. The starting point for this is the Danner Rotunda, which illustrates the stylistic approaches of more than one-hundred jewelry artists from the world over, thanks to the Danner Foundation’s commitment and its jewelry collection which forms the core of this exhibition, and thanks to private donors, including Galerie Spektrum and Professor Peter Skubic, not to mention loans and donations from individual jewelry artists. The 2004 opening exhibition was curated by Professor Hermann Jünger, who taught the jewelry class at the Munich Art Academy from 1972-1990, and Otto Künzli, who took over the chair in 1991. They are succeeded by Karl Fritsch as a representative of a younger generation, who naturally brings his own ideas into play. Karl Fritsch has transferred his artistic concept, which involves reinvigorating, embedding, overlaying and reshaping already existing objects and revealing the actual process, to the task of reinterpreting the Danner Rotunda. In so doing he has changed the face of the permanent presentation in response to the contemporary jewelry scene with its many facets and different artistic attitudes.

Andi Gut, Strunk brooch, 2002, in the New exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

You can view a video of the opening of Fritsch’s exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne by clicking here. And, along with images of jewelry featured in the exhibition, there are a number of images of the exhibition throughout this post that illustrate the sometimes extreme way in which Fritsch has curated (and installed) his survey of contemporary jewelry practice.

The New exhibition, curated by Karl Fritsch, at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

We asked Fritsch if he could give us some insight into the way he approached his curatorial duties. He responded:

It is very unique to have a permanent jewelry display in a contemporary art museum. This museum has so many visitors that I think the audience should be exposed to a wide range of contemporary jewelry. I generally like to show a lot. There are some showcases where I display many pieces from different people to form one big picture about, for example, what a ring or a necklace can be today.

On the other hand I had great pleasure to single out some positions and attitudes that are important to me. For example, a fine necklace from Bernhard Schobinger with some precious stones that he just had holes drilled through and threaded on some cobalt wire, very fine and on a second glimpse very radical and rough.

Falco Marx, Bracelet, 1974/2000, in the New exhibition at the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich

It is totally crazy to have such a large amount of artworks from so many different artists together in one room. All these attitudes, different ideas and a chance to discover all the facets – for example, some fashion jewelry that Herman Jünger designed in the 1970s that was almost forgotten. So it was also fun to discover new facets of old masters.

As well as it was nice to handle some pieces that I always wanted to see in reality, and then get a good number of fresh pieces and see the whole lot interact and find its place and speak for itself.

Sighted on Madison Avenue during a recent trip to New York City. We at AJF were particularly delighted by the mirrored interior surface of the safe’s door. Perfect for trying on your jewels one last time before you lock them away.

Renee Bevan, Blooming Big Brooch, 2009, cotton, stainless steel

Here at AJF we think a lot about the issue of audience in relation to contemporary jewelry. This covers a lot of territory: from the question of how contemporary jewelry positions itself in relation to fine art and design (click here and here to read previous posts), to the way jewelry objects are exhibited (the problem of the body), and even where (craft versus fine art galleries, for example).

Ilse Marie Erl, Bone Cameo, 2009, found bone, oxidised silver, cotton, stainless steel

We were very interested to learn about a novel initiative for connecting contemporary jewelry and its audience that is currently taking place in New Zealand. Organized by Kristin D’Agostino, a recent graduate of the Unitec jewelry program in Auckland, Broach of the Month Club was inspired by D’Agostino’s desire to find new ways to display contemporary jewelry, and to initiate contact between jewelers and wearers. One of her touchstones has been Liesbeth den Besten’s concept of borderline jewelry, which den Besten defines as ‘about borders, about going beyond borders, over the border. Borderline artist jewellers can’t live in the reality of showcases, galleries and museums. They need other ways to establish a bond with people, with people other than the usual jewellery audience.’

Sharon Fitness, Purple Floppy Poppies with a Blue Edge, 2009, silicon, pigments, sterling silver, 9 carat gold

Keen to know more, we asked D’Agnostino some questions about her project, which is now in its second year of operation.

Broach of the Month club (BOM) is a collaboration between twelve brooches, twelve makers and twelve wearers. It aims to reinstate the community aspect of traditional craft in contemporary jewelry culture. The 2010 club has collaborated with Masterworks craft gallery in Auckland to initiate a new BOM club.  The 2010 group includes six original BOM makers, six Masterworks makers and twelve regular Masterworks clients and friends of the gallery. The brooches will be worn, reflected upon and rotated each month, so that over the course of a year every wearer interacts with every brooch.

This is a non-profit project designed to broaden the contemporary jewellery wearer community. No money changes hands. Each party receives equal benefit.

Raewyn Walsh, Vessels, 2009, fine silver,oxidised silver, copper, paint, graphite powder, surgical steel

The BOM club concept provides a vital space for experimental work to be shown and  supplies valuable feedback to the makers. BOM club also creates a forum outside of the gallery where selling work is not a concern. Often, only public galleries provide a space where generating revenue isn’t the key component, but public galleries don’t always have the opportunity to show artists in the early stages of their careers. BOM club provides a living exhibition venue that isn’t beholden to the counters of hipness, fashion, and commodity.  It aims to present another way of tackling the Gert Staal/Ted Noten question regarding the dilemma of displaying jewellery in galleries as opposed to it being worn.

Gillian Deery, Untitled, 2009, sterling silver, stainless steel

The 2010 BOM club is a pre-emptive test-run for my DIY Broach of the Month Club manifesto, wherein I envision the possibility that BOM could “go viral” and be easily dispensed throughout the jewelry world. I am trying to determine whether the success of my initial experiment was a combination of circumstance and luck or if this idea can stand on its own two feet. Involving Masterworks gallery makes sense, because it solves the logistical issues of the swaps. I have much less control this year, which is exciting and scary.  I get to observe the project a bit more.  It is the first step in sending this project off into the big wide world.

On a more personal level, I am also a maker in this project, so I have specific questions regarding new aspects of work I’m creating.

To find out more about BOM, visit the website by clicking here.

Marthe Le Van

Nina Dinoff, Martin Luther King Day 2010

Here at AJF we know that contemporary jewelry is addictive – or as we like to euphemistically say, habit-forming. What about making jewelry? Recently AJF member Marthe Le Van sent us this report of an internet-based project that proves good things can emerge from the daily grind, and that necessity – in this case to make one piece of jewelry every day – really is the mother of invention.

Malador, Nose ring

Setting ambitious goals at the start of a new year is quite common. Having your new year’s resolution become a booming Internet phenomenon with more than 200 jewelers participating in the first month is an extraordinary event.

Chris Irick, Ring

New York jeweler Nina Dinoff first heard about making a ring a day for an entire year while attending a workshop at the Haystack Mountain School in Deer Isle, Maine. Though the idea wasn’t new, it nevertheless stuck with her. As someone who felt ‘relentlessly challenged by any sort of day-to-day routine’, Dinoff was inspired to take up the challenge herself. She posted images of her daily creations on Flickr, a photo-sharing website, and encouraged other artists to take part. Just one month into the New Year, there were more than 3000 images at the Ring A Day Project. By December 2010, that number could easily grow to 36,000! (To visit the Ring A Day website, click here.)

Maria Apostalou, Ring

Dinoff’s challenge, to ‘make a ring a day no matter where you are, what materials are at your disposal, or how much time you have available’, is yielding some spectacular results. Of equal importance, the Ring A Day Project is building a community of makers that are communicating about and through jewelry every single day. In this virtual workshop setting, all are welcome to explore ideas and techniques and give and receive immediate feedback.

Sarah McCurdie, Coconut ring

The Ring A Day project is an example of the internet at its best. Bookmark the site, check back often, and prepare to be inspired day after day after day after day.