Sex, Drugs & Rock´n´Roll Vices or Lifestyle?
internationale Wanderausstellung zeitgenössischen Schmucks
28.09. – 12.10.2012
Inaugurazione 28.09.2012 ore 19.00
The perceptions of Dante Alighieri, who described the seven deadly sins and seven virtues in his Divine Comedy, are the starting point of the competition and exhibition project entitled Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll…Vices or Lifestyle?
Dante Alighieri (1265—1321), the great Italian poet of the late Middle Ages, referred to lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride as deadly sins. We wanted to find out what jewelry artists think about vices and lifestyle in our day and age and asked them to illustrate, using their medium, the ideas associated in the past with sin and vice. Since the 1960s, the notion of sin, which was often associated with youth protests and women’s emancipation, has under gone major changes. Today, people in all modern societies are much less prone to regard sexuality in principle as a sin. Even the approach to drugs is much more differentiated, although we know that the use of and dealing with hard drugs are a worldwide problem. And it is also evident that even work, sports, TV and many other things can turn into “drugs” — not to mention alcohol, this socially acceptable drug which, as of late, is again being used excessively, especially by youths. In the light of the crises of the 21st century, the seven deadly sins and seven virtues described by Dante Alighieri have gained a new relevance. However, in addition to the “traditional” seven deadly sins, there are a number of entirely new vices and tres passes that play an important role in everyday life in the year 2012. Destruction of the environment, excessive arms build up in view of permanent hunger crises, or genetic engineering can be regarded as sins of our time and are topics that dominate both the media and the public discourse today.
On the one hand, the Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll….. Vices or Lifestyle? competition puts contemporary jewelry in the lime light. All over the world, this highly traditional medium is being used by more or less academically trained designers in a largely liberal artistic fashion. Any material is allowed, and an almost unlimited spectrum of ideas can be expressed in these body related creations. What unites the protagonists of modern jewelry is the idea that their medium is neither supposed to serve merely as a fashionable accessory nor as a means of representation. Artistically designed jewelry is above all a carrier of ideas. On the other hand, the theme of the competition is particularly interesting for jewelry creators because jewelry has been regarded from a moral aspect since the time of the Enlightenment. Expensive jewels — which only the very rich can afford — still evoke envy and resentment, provoke crime and are associated with vice. Especially in this respect, contemporary jewelry is considered a counter-concept. It is intended for imaginative wearers who appreciate inventive creativity and individuality. We would like to thank all the participants for their contributions and our jurors, Barbara Schmidt and Giovanni Corvaja, for their expert selection.
Heidemarie Herb und Luigi Mariani
Artists :
Sabine Amtsberg — Michael Berger — Luisa Bruni — Cristina Dias — Susanne Elstner — Maria Rosa Franzin — Nicoletta Frigerio — Francesca Gabrielli — Fabiana Gadano — Marta Hryc — Annamaria Iodice — Hadas Levin — Rikke Lunnemann — Alessandro Petrolati — Claudio Ranfagni — Zoe Robertson — Nora Rochel — Maurizio Stagni — Claudia Steiner — Barbara Von Taeuffenbach — Karen Vanmol — Angelo Verga
Michael Berger Ring: Knuckle bandit 925 silver, partial black coated, stainless steel
Fabiana Gadano Necklace: Elegant dependence 925 silver, beads
Francesca Gabrielli Brooch: Social Vices 2012 Silver 7 x 7 cm Front view. All brooches together.
Francesca Gabrielli Brooch: Social Vices 2012 Silver 7 x 7 cm Back side view
Luisa Bruni - OBLOMOV (o dell’accidia)
Luisa Bruni – OBLOMOV (o dell’accidia) – bronzo, perla, zirconi, smalto, resina, colore acrilico, nilon, talco - L’anello vuole ricordare una lavorazione quasi imperiale dell’oggetto, con decorazioni e smalti che ci riportano alla Russia degli Zar, ma, per essere il ritratto di Oblomov, ricoperta da una ragnatela così fitta e polverosa da celare qualunque bellezza vi sia all’interno.
Memmingerstraße 16
87439 – Kempten
Germany
Telephone: 0049(0)831-5209430
Karen Bartlett
Corrado de Meo Brooch: Flower in Pink 2012 Mixed media - Photographer: Federico Cavicchioli
Heng Lee – Floral Embroidery- Pixel Series
Andrea Coderch Brooch: Untitled 2012 Mixed media
Babette Von Dohnanyi Brooch: Sea Miracles 2012 Mixed media Photographer: Federico Cavicchioli
Kate Rohde resin cuff
Farrah Al Dujaili- ‘Beautifully Marked’
Lital Mendel- Curvature Collection : pink necklace with ribbon (this one will not be exhibited here …)
Lital Mendel- necklace from « Epehmeral collection » (THIS one will be exhibited !)
Michelle Kraemer- « like red but not quite » / brooch / cotton, acrylic paint, steel
Rachel McKnight – Pink Twisted Ruffle Neckpiece
Silke Fleischer – Pickup #4 velvet pink 
Zoe Robertson Brooch: Double Bubble 2011 High density modelling foam, flock fibre, magnet, powder coated steel
