Handmade 2. Polish Silver Art 1979-1999

Copper Museum in Legnica, ul. Partyzantów 3
4 May – 31 August, 2021

Opening hours:

Wensday - Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Saturday - Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The history of the collection began in 1979 and is connected with the organisation of a cyclical event in Legnica, entitled National Review of Jewellery Forms, curated for many years by an art historian and artist, Marek Nowaczyk. Since then, the most outstanding or innovative works awarded at the reviews, as well as at thematic exhibitions have been purchased for the collection, documenting prevailing trends and their interpretations. The competitions organised in the form of biennales - Reviews, as well as quite frequent thematic exhibitions, stimulated the search for concepts in silver, gradually shifting the focus from typical jewellery works to objects which departed more and more from the decorative function, inspiring artists to undertake unconventional solutions and use new materials.

Legnica collection of silver and contemporary jewellery is one of the largest in Poland. It was created as a result of extensive efforts by animators, artists, critics as well as generous government patronage for the development of contemporary goldsmithery. The collection consists mainly of works from the 1980s and 1990s. However, it also includes earlier exhibits, starting from the inter-war period. It presents works of 70 artists from all over Poland: both doyens of the goldsmith's craft and artists of the middle and young generation. Since not only silver was the material for jewellery objects, but also other materials (e.g. copper, brass, plexiglass, fabric, paper), the collection also contains exhibits of this type.

At the moment the entire Legnica collection acquired through purchases and donations comprises 560 objects, including 300 unique jewellery pieces and 260 other objects (table silver, jewellery accessories, designs and a goldsmith's workshop).

Krystyna Nowakowska, PhD

Exhibition organized within the framework of Legnica SILVER Festival 2021
Organizer: the Gallery of Art in Legnica in cooperation with the Copper Museum
Curator: Krystyna Nowakowska, PhD