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Legnica after silver culmination  

  

 

This year for the 35th time in Legnica takes place Legnica SILVER Festival. The Festival, next to SCHMUCK, is one of the bigest contemporary art jewellery overviews in Europe. Between 16th and 17th of May, during culmination of the Festival, twenty exhibitions were inaugurated, where over 1000 objects of contemporary jewellery and design by 500 artists all over the world were presented. Apart from openings of the exhibitions with participation of authors, curators and general public, the session, films screenings and happenings in downpour rain took place. Every day of the Festival had its music accents in the form of Agata Zubel’s recital and jazz concert of Duologia Group.

 

  

               

Jewellery design devotees from the countries of Europe (the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Slovakia, Czech, Lithuania) and also from Colombia and Australia came to Legnica to take part in the Festival's final, as did the representatives of the most prominent Polish academic goldsmithing centres – Gdańsk and Łódź. The works of professors and students from that Academies were presented at Silver Schools exhibitions. In Legnica were also representatives of JUBINALE Summer Jewellery and Watches Trade Fair and Inhorgenta Munich, media, Polish and European art galleries and jewellery and design-promoting institutions.


  

 

The official 2014 Legnica SILVER Festival's final, began on Friday afternoon (May 16th). This time it was a turn of Felicity Peters (great Australian jewellery designer and the friend of Gallery of Art in Legnica) to give a symbolic start to the celebrations by enthronement of the event's patron a gnome once made in Legnica by the prominent Dutch designer Gijs Bakker. 


  

 

After it Monika Szpatowicz, the curator of the Festival, started the opening of Holownia – showcasing the entries received but not qualified for the main exhibition. Holownia, presenting about 400 works by over 200 artists from 42 countries, is an interesting addition to the main exhibition of Legnica International Jewellery Competition. 

 

  

 

At the next stop in the Silver Gallery "Under the Quail’s Basket", as every year was presented exhibition from the cycle Debuts. The authors of Classic 4Women – Martyna Tejwan, Jola Gazda, Weronika Bachan and Dorota Michalska (absent) welcomed the guests and told about classic inspirations in their art. For the fourth time at the SILVER Festival the young goldsmiths of AU+ group (Marcin Bogusław, Bartosz Chmielewski, Filip Jackowski, Michał Wysocki), exhibited their joint project in the Niello Gallery. This year it is called 3 seconds down!.

 

  

 

In the Satyrykon Gallery were presented two exhibitions: Vratislav Karel Novák "Artist and Friend" and exhibition of 4D group. The first one is the tribute to deceased on February 2014 Vratislav Karel Novák, about whom in touching words talked his daughter Kateřina Nováková and long-term partner Ludmila Šikolová. The second exhibition in Satyrykon Gallery, also from Czech Republic, is the effect of co-operation of Alena Hesounova, Karla Olšákova, Kateřina Řezáčova and Lucie Houdkova. 

 

  

 

Next on the silver route was the baroque hall of the Legnica Culture Centre, which this year housed no less than four exhibitions: Silver Schools, Plateaus Jewellery Project, Presentations 2013 and There Will Be Blood. The annual Silver Schools presentation showcased works of Glasgow School of Art, the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. 

 

   

  

 

The Glasgow School of Art was presented by the hosts of the Festival. The Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk was introduced by prof. Sławomir Fijałkowski, who mentioned about successes of its Experimental Design Studio. The Head of the Department of Jewellery prof. Andrzej Boss presented Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, which educates jewellery designers from many decades. 

 

  

  

 

The next was the vernissage of Plateaus Jewellery Project. At the moment four jewellery artists are connected in this project: Katharina Dettar (Germany), Edu Tarin (Spain), Barbora Dzurákova (Slovakia) and Patrícia Correia Domingues (Portugal). These “young, furious” and a bit shy artists treated their project as an experience, which leads the viewer into the world not only of jewellery but also of graphics created by Marta Veludo.That’s the reason why, the arrangement of the exhibition is so surprising, with the works presented on huge metal plates, covered with patterns. The opening of Presentations 2013 and There Will Be Blood brought first day’s vernissages to an end. 

 

   

The first day trailed off with Silver Screen screenings of the most classic scenes from movies. A jazz concert of DUOLOGIA (Patrycjusz Gruszecki and Mariusz Smoliński) at Cafe Modjeska ended first day of silver events. 

 

 

The many participants and guests started the final's second day (Saturday, May 17th) at 10 o’clock reflecting on contemporary art and goldsmithing at the Classic in the post-modern reality seminar in Qubus Hotel. 

  

  

 

It was the 15th session from The Boundaries of global art cycle. Next to the scholars, the list of speakers included the authors of this year’s exhibitions: Mah Rana, Theo Smeets, Plateaus Jewellery Project and Kateřina Nováková with Ludmila Šikolová. During the seminar spoke also Deganit Stern Schocken – the artist, former Head of Jewelry Design Department at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Israel, who came to Legnica with Sharon Keren – current Head of this Department. 

 

  

 

At 4.30 p.m. the participants of the Festival went to Cooper Museum, where the vernissages from About the artists cycle started. The authors of the exhibitions were: Daniela Boieri (Italy), Katarina Síposová (Slovakia), Stephen Bottomley (Scotland), Antek Zaremski and Giedymin Jabłoński (Poland). The meeting finished with tangos by Astor Piazzola performed during a recital of Agata Zubel.

 

  

 

The next stop during silver walk was the Ring Gallery with three openings: Salute to Pinton, devoted to the memory of the great artist, jeweller and Nestor of the Paduan designers - Mario Pinton, Meanings and Attachments – the artistic and photographic record about the jewellery and Birthday Party 2, which presents the works of over 50 artists, who were a jurors of Legnica International Jewellery Competitions. The curator of Salute to Pinton exhibition – Wim Vandekerckhove was very proud of his presence in “the capital of the jewellery”. Mah Rana, who had worked in Legnica with her assistant Andrea Bogdan, told the audience about her project, which was run in Estonia, Spain, Portugal and Australia.

 

  

  

 

The culmination of the Festival took place in the hall of the Old Town Hall in Legnica. Theo Smeets, who was the special guest from the About the artists cycle this year, had emphasized the great atmosphere of Legnica and the international prestige of Legnica SILVER Festival. After his speech, the emotions ran high at the inauguration of the 23rd International Jewellery Competition CLASSIC show. In the presence of governing of the city of Legnica, Silesia Province and other sponsors (i.a. KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. and Polish Copper Foundation) the participants of main exhibition were welcomed with applause and roses.

 

  

 

The names of the winners and the runners-up (kept secret until then) were finally revealed. The total value of the cash and prize awards came to ca. 43,000 PLN. The prizes were handed over by Robert Kropiwnicki MP on behalf of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Michał Huzarski on behalf of the Marshall of Lower Silesia, Dorota Purgal, the Vice-President of Legnica, Cecylia Ewa Stankiewicz, CEO, on behalf of the Polish Copper Foundation, Director of Gallery of Art in Legnica and the representatives of the remaining prize founders: Inhorgenta Munich, JUBINALE Summer Jewellery and Watches Trade Fair, Polish Jewellery, YES Gallery, Polish Goldsmithing Artists' Association, Polish Modern Art Foundation, International Amber Association, Six Group and WFP Herfa.

 

  

 

The winner of Grand Prix (15,000 PLN), founded again by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, was Daniel Michel (Germany), who also  received the Award of Six Group (B. Bytomski, P. Kaczyński, K. Roszkiewicz, M. Tymiński, A. Wolski). The runners-up prize by the Marshall of the Lower Silesia Province (5,000 PLN) was meant for Sungho Cho (South Korea). Unfortunately both winners weren’t present in Legnica, but the audience had the opportunity to watch short movies with their speeches. 

  

 

 

The 3rd Prize founded by the Mayor of the Legnica City (3,000 PLN) received Ferràn Iglesias (Spain). Equally valuable were the other rewards, especially granulated silver, after which the Festival was named. The Director of Gallery of Art in Legnica handed three prizes: Elisabetta Duprè (Italy) received the Award of the Gallery of Art in Legnica – solo exhibition with catalogue, Heike Walk (Germany) – the Organizers’ Special Award for creative courage and uncompromising attitude, innovation or sense of humour “Silver Spur” and Herman Hermsen (The Netherlands) – Honourable Mention of the Director of the Gallery of Art in Legnica. 

 

 

  

 

 

The other awards and mentions beyond the competence of the jury went to: Aneta Lis-Marcinkiewicz (Poland) – Joachim Sokólski Award established by the Polish Modern Art Foundation, Stephanie Hensle (Germany) – Inhorgenta Munich Award – free stand at Inhorgenta Munich 2015 and Honourable Mention of Goldsmithing Artists’ Association, Andrzej Szadkowski (Poland) – prize gift of the HEFRA Company, Karol Weisslechner (Slovakia) – Honourable Mention of International Amber Association, Judy McCaig (Scotland) – Award of Polish Jewellery – advertisement in Polish Jewellery catalogue, Jarosław Westermark (Poland) – Award of YES Gallery and Award of Polish Jewellery – free stand at JUBINALE Summer Jewellery and Watches Trade Fair 2015. 

 

  

 

 

  

 

AWARDED WORKS YOU CAN SEE HERE (CLICK)

 

 

After these exciting moments all of the participants of the Festival, sponsors, artists and organizers went to Ratuszowa Restaurant to celebrate the success of the winners. The party went on till late night. Another opportunity to repeat it will be… next year.

 

  

  

 

 

  

 

 

         

 

         

 

         

 

         

 

      

 

    

 

         

 

         

 

         

 

         

 

     

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

   

 

   

 

  

 

   

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

    

 

 

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Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER 2020

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