At Object Rotterdam, unconventional displays of various shapes and sizes were placed against a single white dividing wall, used as a canvas to present the jewellery pieces (created by the students of St Lucas Antwerp). These displays were covered in red velvet, clearly standing out and attracting the visitors’ attention. The soft fabric front, combined with the familiarity of the rounded shapes, created a surrealistic but embracing atmosphere. All the displays could be recognized as styled outlines of furniture; mirrors, tables, cupboards, a dressmaker’s model, and chairs commonly found at home, as a staged, new home for the presented jewels. Taking it further, the outlines were reminiscent of bedroom furniture, a traditional place to store and display unworn jewellery pieces. A boudoir-like scene might even come to mind, due to the fact that the outlines were paired with red velvet. The setting invites the viewer to perceive a similar voyeurism found when observing a still-life painting, evoking reflection on the presented pieces.
Although simple and carefully orchestrated in its set-up, this presentation was a long way away from the clean, mostly white displays often used for art jewellery. It brought a kind of inviting intimacy associated with either jewellery or the home, exposing the need for physical contact, on the one hand, and the expression of personal preference, on the other.
An illustration of physical contact with jewellery pieces can be experienced in the work of Sandra Buyck. Her ‘Nail-Extensions’ are worn on the tip of the finger, over the nail. While constantly touching the piece with the end of the finger, soft hair protruding from the tip acts as a sensory brush.
A work that needs to be worn carefully is Charlotte Van De Velde’s ‘Two staples’, purely because of its material use. The neckpiece consists of staples that follow a certain pattern to create a large loop, extending out further at the front. The soft velvet background reinforces the delicacy of the work.
Hervée Darmont’s ‘Clouds’ consists of glass bubbles that form a ‘cloud’ and a real mirror, underlining its three-dimensionality, and creating an opportunity for the viewer to get a good look at it. Placed underneath the outline of a mirror and on a velvet cupboard, the mystic dreaminess of the work really shows through.
Shana Teugels’s brooch ‘My Magical Dream Fair’ oozes glamour, playfully linking it to the boudoir-like setting.
The oval shape of a mirror displayed Octave Vandeweghe’s highly communicative work ‘Hammersprache’. Not only does it form a solid frame; it also enhances the poetry of the work.
The exhibition ‘Der Schmuck Salon’ evoked communication between the presentation set-up and the exhibited jewellery pieces. This, together with the strong interconnection between the numerous displays, united the works of art, even though they varied and were by individual artists. The clear, inviting and intimate atmosphere created an opportunity for the visitor to comfortably explore the exhibition and its jewellery pieces.
Text: Broes van Iterson
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