Jewellery conquers the art gallery

In gold and silver, plastic or paper, aluminium, plexi-glass, nylon or fabric, extravagant and a little crazy, hyper-technical or extremely simple. So what if creative imagination is slightly schizophrenic. Now jewellery has a new and prestigious intermediary: the art gallery.

Putti Gallery, Riga

Text by Federica Frosini

«Nothing has changed. The role that a contemporary jewellery gallery plays in the twenty-first century is in line with the same aim as art galleries in the 1800s». The words of Leo Caballero, Managing and Content Director at Klimt02, prestigious gallery and digital platform for contemporary jewellery with registered offices in Barcelona. «We have a precise duty» Caballero continues. «We 'bridge the gap' between the artist and the final public, exhibiting, narrating and explaining jewellery to those who we believe are the perfect customers for those items. But the truly decisive function of the gallery is its ability to select the work of the artist, to know how to interpret and distinguish two basic concepts: innovation and modernity. When an artist expresses an artistic concept through a language that is so very personal, it determines a style, and that's when innovation enters into play. At the same time, the modernity of an item of jewellery emerges where a designer manages to go beyond the material to 'marry' concrete needs. The result is a wearable, well-made item that is conceptually interesting». An authoritative voice that confirms a significant fact, or perhaps a tangible trend, which places the modern concept of a contemporary jewellery gallery among the most qualified channels for creating an authentic platform, through which to promote jewellery according to the artist's creative level, quality of work, technical skills and potential for stylistic development. «The gallery has to create continuity, as they say at the Galerie Ra in Amsterdam. It has to generate quality and move away from aesthetic stereotypes».

Ubi Gallery, Pechino

One reason why new and talented contemporary jewellery novices are so welcome by gallery owners today, as Machtelt Schelling states, the Dutch founder of Ubi Gallery in Peking, whose objective is to educate and explain to the Chinese market that the value of jewellery is not always linked to the material but to its design or the idea behind it. «In order to comprehend the value of using materials like plastic or paper, dialogue is of fundamental importance», says Machtelt Schelling. «As is making the customer understand that a piece of jewellery is not only synonymous of design and function, but a summary of a desire for adventure, challenge, exploration with little used materials, without ever forgetting the role of evoking emotion». A multitude of authoritative voices are contributing to 'mapping' goldsmith art galleries which are all waiting with open arms to welcome the infinite expression of contemporary jewellery. From the London-based ones like Elisabetta Cipriani, Lesley Craze, recently awarded an MBE for services rendered in 'jewellery and silversmithing', Adrian Sassoon, S O Gallery, Willis Lane and Bishoplands, to the Dutch Ra, Rob Koudijs, Marzee.

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Alice Cicolini, "Silver Tile Rings", Galerie Tactile, Ginevra

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Atelier Ted Noten, "Wanna Swap Your Ring?". Installazione itinerante. Traveling exhibition. © James Gilberd Photospace Gallery Wellington

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Atelier Ted Noten, "Lady K 4/7 Bag, Prada", 2007 from the exhibition "Gold, Sweat & Pearls.

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From the Swiss Tactile Gallery to the German Meister und Margarita, the Italian Alternatives Gallery and Antonella Villanova, the Putti Art Gallery in Riga and the Klimt02 in Barcelona. That jewellery design is constantly going beyond its stylistic demarcation line, investigating shapes, materials and unusual techniques, is therefore a known fact. But just as evident is that this plurality of expressive languages is now finding an intriguing exhibition platform in art galleries, thus contributing to the development of a fast- growing market segment. Astrid Berens at the Sieraad Art Fair in Amsterdam from the 6th to 9th November is the confirmation. «We are all involved in the evolution of contemporary jewellery as an artistic field still to be explored. But what brings results these days is visibility. The more a designer knowingly works in this direction, the more people will come to understand a new concept of jewellery. And this is what is making Sieraad more popular. From its first edition in 2002 with just 22 exhibitors hosted on a tennis court at Enschede, we now have over 100 independent artists and galleries, and about 8,000 visitors. And we are no longer playing on the tennis court».

Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen, Olanda