Enzo Carbone: The Future Of Artistar Jewels

Exhibition, Contest, Book and e-commerce: this is how the Managing Director of Prodes Italia intends to upgrade the 2019 edition of the event.


  • Enzo Carbone

    Enzo Carbone

What led to the creation of Artistar Jewels? What are the main aims of the event?
The Artistar Jewels project began in 2014 with the aim of giving visibility to the contemporary jewelry world, already explored abroad but still practically unknown in Italy. I realized how hard it was for these artists to make a place for themselves in the market, so the main objectives of the event are actually to give visibility to the creations of our designers so that they can reach an increasingly large public of end-users. Over the years I have been very pleased to see the considerable degree of visibility that our artists have gained: from publications in leading sector magazines to real commercial partnerships around the world. Just a few days ago, in fact, we received news that, thanks to Artistar Jewels, one of our American artists has forged an important partnership with a Hollywood film company. 

What makes Artistar stand out from any other event linked to jewelry?
Artistar Jewels should not be mistaken for a jewelry show or a simple exhibition. Its role is not fulfilled with an exhibition, an editorial publication, a contest, a photo-shoot and an e-commerce website. Existing contemporary jewelry projects focus on one, or at most two, of these aspects. Artistar Jewels, on the other hand, is a global and transversal project that uses the most varied of useful strategies to help divulge the creativity of each artist. The artists are not given a particular theme on which to take inspiration. Their creations must necessarily be recent. Therefore, the project is a unique chance for visitors and sector experts to see the latest ideas and trends in jewelry research, art and design from all over the world.

How many applications do you receive on average for each edition? And from how many different countries? 
We received over 300 applications from over 50 countries for the 2018 edition.

What stimulates you most about contemporary jewelry?
The main things that fascinates me most about contemporary jewelry are its uniqueness and the art that so distinguishes it. Every creation is a small wearable work of art, that tells a story and transmits emotions.

The new entry for 2019: concept stores…
The Artistar team is working on this with particular attention. The most significant new entry for 2019 is the creation of a sales network that will span the whole world. While up until 2018 participants exhibited their jewelry inside several contemporary European galleries, now, through partnerships and synergies with numerous commercial organizations, concept stores and galleries, Artistar Jewels give artists the chance to display their own pieces inside physical sales points around the globe. Partners can, therefore, choose the artists and brands with which they wish to collaborate, thus allowing them to cross national boundaries and further expand their business. 

How do you see Artistar in 5 or 10 years' time?
Firstly we hope that the culture of contemporary jewelry will be more widespread and known around the world. Artistar is certainly aiming at becoming an extremely popular international event  with an increasingly higher selection of artists. In the near future I would like Artistar Jewels to be present in important showcases throughout the world as well as in international sales points  in order to further expand selected artists' sales networks, which is really what I would like to see the most. It is natural that the project is updated over time, but we will do so without betraying the heritage and without losing the uniqueness and elegance that has always given us the edge.

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