This year's programme of the Legnica SILVER Festival included over a dozen of exhibitions, located in the heart of Legnica (Poland). The event consisted solo and collective exhibitions by artists from Poland and abroad, presenting a wide spectrum of contemporary jewellery often in surprising, innovative and experimental forms.
The most exciting event during the Grand Opening was the long-awaited announcement of the results of the 32nd International Jewellery Competition EMPATHY, which this year received nearly 300 entries from artists from 45 countries.
As every year, we hosted presentations that have been known for many years – About the Artists, Silver Schools and Debuts, as well as exhibitions of posters and photographs that traditionally accompany the International Jewellery Competition. The HOLOWNIA was also presented - a show of works not qualified for the main exhibition.
In Legnica, we could see a solo exhibition by Mariko Kusumoto. Born and raised in Japan, and now living and working in the USA. Artist earned her BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Musashino Art College, Tokyo, and her MFA in Printmaking from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco. Finding herself more interested in the etched metal than the images on paper, she began making sculptures out of etched metal. After working with metal exclusively for almost 18 years, her attention shifted from metal to fabric, or a combination of both metal and fabric. Her designs are incorporated into jewelry and sculptural pieces, and in collaboration with renowned fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier and with luxury brands such as Tiffany and Co., La Mer, and Elizabeth Arden. "My work reflects various, observable phenomena that stimulate my mind and senses; they can be natural or man-made. I ‘reorganize’ them into a new presentation that can be described as surreal, amusing, graceful, or unexpected. A playful, happy atmosphere pervades my work. I always like to leave some space for the viewer’s imagination; I hope the viewer experiences discovery, surprise, and wonder through my work. In all of my work there is always the insistence on skill and craftsmanship.” – explains the artist.
Peter Machata (Slovakia) also introduced his latest work. He's a graduate of Jozef Jankovič’s sculpture studio at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, who began to concentrate on jewellery after completing his studies. Artist is the winner of the Gallery of Art in Legnica's prize in 29th International Jewellery Competition "TOUCH" in 2022. Peter Machata perceives jewellery as small sculptures, and thus consistently and consequently builds the syntax of his objects based on the principles of relief. For many years he worked mainly in silver. Over time, he also discovered the interesting properties of plastic, which allows him to experiment with CNC milling machine and scanner.
Another artist presented at Legnica SILVER Festival was Mari Ishikawa, whose exhibition refered to the elusiveness of sensations and emotions. In her work, Mari Ishikawa describes everyday life with jewellery full of metaphors. "We can't see anything until we try it. Discovery begins with the sense of sight" – says the artist.
The Legnica SILVER Festival also included an exhibition, which is a representative review of the latest in amber art organized by the International Amber Association from Gdańsk. Its core was a meticulously curated collection of almost 100 unique items created by leading amber artists from Poland and beyond. A separate space was dedicated to jewellery prototypes using innovative CAD/CAM techniques, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) and parametric design, along with examples of creative application of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms made by students of the Faculty of Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk.
Also noteworthy was the debut of a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź - Jonatan Poeche, who can boast of an extensive portfolio. Jonatan uses natural materials (wood, which gains a symbolic dimension in his works), reaches for colour (enamel) and combines different textures and materials. “I am keen for my work to express an openness to the diversity of the world and the inspiration that can come at the least expected moments. I see jewellery art more as a journey than a destination I am striving to reach.” – says the artist.
The creations and viewpoints of young artists could be also explored by visiting the anniversary exhibition of the Jewellery Institute of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. Parallel learning in the design and workshop studios provides students with optimum specialized preparation both as industrial designers and independent artists, allowing graduates to make an individualized career choice.
Another collective exhibition titled "Computer & Jewellery" was organized by the Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec na Nisou (Czech Republic) portrays the theme of the influence of computer technology on humankind. In addition to metal and glass jewellery, participants incorporated computer components into their jewellery.
The Gallery of Art in Legnica also hosted the next edition of the international video festival inspired by jewellery and wearable art – SMCK On Reel, which is organized by SMCK Magazine. The programme included screenings of the documentaries "Political Jewelry" and "Greetings from Ukraine", which emphasize jewelry's impact on political communication and its potential to increase our understanding of world changing events, and cement our empathy.
Another exhibition accompanying the Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER was a presentation of works made by students from the Mediation of Art at the Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, realised in the "Word and Image" studio. These formally diverse works address the issues of empathy, recognizing emotions and mutual support in contemporary contexts of reality.
