PRESENTATIONS 2019 International Art Jewellery Competition PROTEZEUSES

Open Art Studio, Chojnowska 19

4 May – 20 June, 2021

Opening hours:

Saturday - Sunday: 12:00-6:00 p.m.

during the week: opened on demand

Presentations is a competition organised since 2001 by the Association of Goldsmithing Artists. Each year it is held under a different theme. The theme of the 19th edition - "Protezeuses", also in its Polish lexical version, refers directly to people wearing prostheses and overcoming the hardships of everyday life through the evokation of the myth of Prometheus, who was condemned to eternal torment in the name of love for man. The artists approached the theme in different ways, but their works did not refer directly to personal matters of people in need of orthopaedic support. Małgorzata Kalińska's winning necklace refers to the liver - an organ which, in one of the myths about Prometheus, was pecked out by a vulture every morning, while also drawing attention to the possibilities offered by contemporary transplantology.

The symbiosis of the qualities of the brave titan Prometheus, the Greek symbol of a god (suffering in the name of love for humanity) with maimed (but not crippled) people is meant to draw attention to everyday struggles and the discomfort associated with this, and to overcoming physical difficulties. In such circumstances, it is important to master helpful techniques and ways to function 'normally', optimally - after all, we are all of equal value, even if not of equal ability.
The organisers of the competition set the artistic stakes high, and their expectations suggested that literal, illustrative interpretations of the theme should be rejected. Above all, they compelled us to pay attention to the issues of the philosophy of life in various contexts and aspects. The guiding idea behind the theme thus formulated is that we need to understand difference, accept it, and we should be willing and able to help each other create community and one's identity within the community.

The difficult social theme required additional scientific and artistic explanations, bringing these contents and facts closer together in order to create a proper artistic message in the form of jewellery. The jurors excluded from participation in the exhibition objects with little high-minded expression, preferring the multifaceted nature of the ideas of the works. Works with complex suggestions of problems, not referring to personal matters of people wearing orthopaedic prostheses, won recognition of the commission. We qualified those works that included "before-and-after" reflections, found substitutes, did not analyse obvious or trivial and only physical problems. Those where we found the authors' answers to the competition question; which are an expression of acceptance, tolerance, and also openness to spirituality...

Prof. Andrzej Szadkowski

The jury of the competition, consisting of: Ewa Cieślak, Piotr Rybaczek, Anna Sado, Arek Wolski, chaired by Professor Andrzej Szadkowski, awarded the following prizes:

I PLACE – Małgorzata Kalińska (Poland) for the necklace I thought about ... This modern form of work, which interprets a mythological motif - refers to an organ, as it were, prepared from the body of Prometheus. It illustrates the possibilities offered by modern transplantology, giving hope for a new beginning.

Małgorzata Kalińska – Poland

1st place

I thought about ... necklace, silver, rubber, glass, resin

II PLACE – Jolanta Kupniewska (Poland) for the bracelet Added Value, which, just as the first project gives hope through substitution, in this case the work helps to inspire hope by suggesting "added value", offering the prospect of expanding the potential and functionality of the human body.

Jolanta Kupniewska – Poland

2nd place

Added value  bracelet, silver, plaster, synthetic ruby

III PLACE – Marcin Tymiński (Poland) for the necklace Amulets. I cannot wear them, I would like to wear them, I will wear them ... – a work showing the difficult process of reaching acceptance and reconciliation in situations when something is lost or when faced with the unknown - and thus fearful. The end of this process is a long-awaited consolation.

Marcin Tymiński – Poland

3rd place

Amulets. I can't wear them, I would like to wear them, I will wear them…  necklace, silver, amber

Distinctions were awarded to Marcin Bogusław for the Tank of Love brooch and Jolanta Gazda for the Perfection/Imperfection brooch.

Marcin Bogusław – Poland

Honourable mention

Tank of Love  brooch, silver, amber, zirconia

Jolanta Gazda – Poland

Honourable mention

Perfection / Imperfection  brooch, silver, acrylic paint

The opening of the competition exhibition took place at the Museum of Contemporary Jewellery in Warsaw in autumn 2019. The curator of the 19th edition of the competition is Katarzyna Banaszek.

The Association of Goldsmithing Artists (STFZ) – established in 1991 in Warsaw, gathers Polish artists, goldsmiths and jewellery designers. Its aim is to promote contemporary Polish design and designer jewellery in the country and abroad, and to provide the Association members with broad access to information, a network of contacts, and up-to-date as well as archival materials related to contemporary goldsmithing. The association organizes competitions, exhibitions, open-air events and participates in similar events abroad. For years, it has been cooperating with Legnica SILVER Festival, the effect of which is, among others, presentation of exhibitions within the Festival’s framework.