AROUND THE WORLD IN 500 CONTEMPORARY JEWELS
Artistar Jewels, the international event dedicated to body ornaments now in its sixth edition, will be held for the first time at Palazzo Bovara in Corso di Porta Venezia in Milan, from February 19th to 24th 2019. The entire building will be dedicated exclusively to the exhibition, with over 700 square meters of exhibition space. A not-to-be-missed opportunity to admire the beauty of contemporary jewellery declined in 500 sculptural ornaments, ironic, sometimes on the verge of wearability, inserted in an experiential path divided into themes: avant-garde, innovation, precious and recycling. The creations on the show are of the highest artistic and technical level, most of which created for the project and never exhibited before. The exhibition, under the patronage of the City of Milan which has supported the event for three years, is open with free admission during the Fashion Week and from this edition, the event will also be supported by CNA Federmoda, which constitutes the national and unitary system of general representation of the Italian company.
The 2019 edition marks a record because for the first time agreements with galleries outside of Europe have been made, with Bini Gallery in Australia, Ame Gallery in Hong Kong and Alice Floriano in Brazil. All the 14 galleries involved in the project represent a reference point in the contemporary jewellery field and are able to offer the public an eclectic mix of collections made with ancient and modern techniques. Some directors will be in Italy to attend the event and personally choose the works among all those on display, which will enrich the proposal of their collections.
The founder Enzo Carbone expresses himself on this: “Artistar Jewels is a growing project, with new partners in Italy and outside of Europe where we are working a lot. The public attention to contemporary jewellery and artistic manufacture is growing significantly in our country and we strongly believe in it. We are investing not only to spread the culture of this sector but also to respond to what the designers really ask: international visibility and commercial opportunities; we also thank the City of Milan and Cna Federmoda for their trust in our project.”
During the exhibition it will be possible to admire the creations of three protagonists of the art and contemporary jewellery worlds, whose works are internationally recognized: Turi Simeti, one of the most appreciated and quoted contemporary Italian artists and known for his 1960s outbursts; the German Ute Decker, sculpture jewellery author who works in London and counts among her clients Zaha Hadid; she uses for her creations 100% recycled gold and silver, with Fairtrade certification and she is one of the first supporters of ethical jewellery. Finally, geometric jewels will be present from the impressive structures of the French artist and designer Christophe Burger.
Among the more than 400 applications received from all over the world, the scientific committee of Artistar Jewels selected 140 artists. A strong presence of foreign authors coming from Russia, South America, Iran and UK. The assessment criteria were, among others, the high artistic value, the technical experimentation, the design, the stylistic research, the personal interpretation of the traditional techniques, the originality of the themes and the technological innovation.
Artistar Jewels is an event that offers, every year, an unprecedented reading on contemporary jewellery proposing the trends of recent years. The approach is original because the selection is not carried out starting from a topic chosen by the editors. Maximum is thus the freedom of expression to offer visitors a real insight into contemporary production in the field of body ornaments. Several are the techniques used – from lost wax, laser cutting, filigree, hand finishing, through 3D printing, which is increasingly used in this sector. The animal world with its thousand facets, the exploration of the human body, the criticism of the social networks universe are among the most interesting themes. Gold, silver, titanium, leather, fabric, polymers, diamonds, quartzes, even meteorites, lichens and nanosital are among the materials chosen with strong, unpublished and refined combinations.
The goal of the event is not to regulate and make the rules, but to enhance the uniqueness and the history of each creation, arousing in the visitor wonder, curiosity and willingness to deepen. The pieces presented go beyond the decorative element and represent both the “extension” of the creator and the thoughts and feelings of the wearer. The stories of the protagonists are told in the volume Artistar Jewels 2019 through the images of the jewels taken in a photo shoot entirely curated by the team of Artistar Jewels. The book is published by Logo Fausto Lupetti and will be available in all bookshops in Italy and in the main European capitals; also sent to 5,000 professional, including buyers, concept stores, journalists, stakeholders and jewellery galleries.
The jury of the contest – that involves all the jewellery creators – is composed by Elisabetta Barracchia, director of Vogue Vanity Fair Accessory, Maristella Campi, fashion and costume journalist, Gianni De Liguoro, founding partner and stylist of the famous De Liguoro brand, Ivan Perini Fine Jewelry & Consultancy , Irina Slesareva, director of Jewellery Review Magazine and Creative Director of the Russian Line Jewellery Contest, Guido Solari, director of the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana in Via Tortona 26, Liza Urla, top jewellery blogger and founder of GEMOLOGUE.
Each of them will choose the most deserving and similar to their own world participant and to which they can be awarded a prestigious recognition. Interviews in influential magazines, internships, training courses, social campaigns will be some of the prizes offered. Finally, the three most voted by all the judges will be the three winners of the 2019 edition who will take part for free in Artistar Jewels 2020 with special contents published in the 2020 edition of the volume.
Two exclusive gala nights on invitation are dedicated to the participants and distinguished guests of the sector: February 21st will be dedicated to the meeting with the protagonists of the exhibition, buyers and press; on February 22nd is scheduled the proclamation of the winners of the contest followed by a toast offered by the re-confirmed wine sponsor Cesarini Sforza, one of the first “maison” of the classic Trentino sparkling wine, which for the occasion will award a special recognition to one of the artists in exhibition.
