GZ Art+Design 2004 5 Spots

German art awarded Dutch prize

The SilverArt Foundation was established in 2001 with a view to bringing modern silverwork to the attention of a wide, art-loving public through exhibitions. Accordingly, the SilverArt Foundation organized the international competition "Schoonhoven Silver Award 2004" for the second time in this year along with the exhibition of the same name. The title this year was "The light of silver". Artists, designers and silversmiths were invited to contribute their ideas. From the 71 submitted silverwork entries, the jury unanimously decided to bestow the award upon the entry by Monika Gimborn-Jochum from Cologne, Germany. The jury believed that her product 'Spring Light' reached a high artistic level. "This work of art is of such a direct artistic persuasiveness that it gives the impression of having been created with the greatest of ease", explains chairwoman Liesbeth Brandt Corstius the jury's decision. With the "Schoonhoven Silver Award" Monika Gimborn-Jochum will receive a prize of 7,000 euros, donated by the Schoonhoven City Council. For the future, the SilverArt Foundation is attempting to organize a temporary, international exhibition, which will follow the initial ten-week exhibition in Schoonhoven. www.zilverkunst.nl * cete

Silver in everyday life

A tiny object that is used on a daily basis in many households succeeded in capturing the jury's interest and to win the young designer's award at this year's Silver Triennale 2004, which comes with 2,500 euros. Michael Hinterleitner saw off the competition of 171 other international artists who had also submitted their silver work to the jury with his functioning and aesthetically designed travel espresso maker, the "Pocket Coffee Machine". The International Silver Triennale has been held every three years since 1968, organized by the German Goldsmith House Hanau in cooperation with the Society for Goldsmith Art. Each artist is entitled to submit no more than two pieces of work, manufactured in silver. The organizers believe the fact that many artists are looking for new opportunities and technical skills in working with silver in order to lend a modern touch to the classical silversmith craft is extremely pleasing. All of the entries will be on show in different cities and states within Europe until the end of 2005 as part of a touring exhibition. A bilingual catalogue will also be published to mark the event. * cete

Sterckshof Silver Museum features interesting publications

The Sterckshof Silver Museum in Antwerp Deurne (Belgium) is featuring an interesting list of its own publications ranging from German silver in the Bauhaus style to Italian silver of the 20th century right down to famous collections that have been in the Sterckshof Silver Museum. You can retrieve this list of 37 catalogs altogether. info@sterckshof.provant.be * kph

Mine jewelry

The three gallery-owners and jewelry designers Nicola Brand, Julia Stotz and Annette Wackermann have developed attractive keepstakes to a visit to the World Cultural Legacy Zollverein Mine. Their workshop "SchmuchProdukt" is located on the grounds of the former Zollverein Mine in Essen, which has become an attraction for visitors from all over the world, who pass the message on by word of mouth. The three creative designers have incorporated the trademark and official logo of Europe's formerly largest mine, the mining tower, in a jewelry collection. Silver balls, each weighing one gram, are processed by hand to form small, round platelets bearing the stamp of the Zollverein logo. They are then processed to form moving silver rings, chains with pendants, bracelets and cufflinks. The special feature of the Mine Collection is the so-called "cultural coal" sticker. This trendy pin jewelry could at some stage attain some collector's value, as real Zollverein coal is processed here, enveloped in a transparent plastic foil. www.schmuckprodukt.de * cete

Crowning a design idea

The design idea of the Girello rings, which rotate around their own axis, by the Swiss jewelry maker Meister came in ahead of the design competition: An international jury awarded it the coveted "red dot" design award 2004. The jury was particularly impressed with the changing optical appearance of the ring collection, which can be altered in a clever manner by a rotating movement. For example, rotating the ring by 90° transforms the "Princess Ring" into a diamond-encrusted crown, while the model "Waves" forms a rolling a moving diamond belt. This was not the first "red dot" award for Meister. Indeed, many of the products by the jewelry manufacturer - above all from its prize-winning collection of men's accessories - have won international prizes over the last few years. www.meisterschmuck.ch * cete

German church coronation with British support

In a symbolic act of reconciliation, the "Orb and Cross" made by the British silversmiths Grant MacDonald once again graces the great dome of Dresden's rebuilt Frauenkirche. The coronation took place at a height of 95 meters on June 22, 2004. The original steeple cross was destroyed in February 1945 during a bombing raid by British and American bombers fighting in the Second World War. The new steeple cross, which the Duke of Kent termed a "symbol of suffering and reconciliation" during the official inauguration, was manufactured on the basis of the original version in the London-based workshop of the British silversmith, Grant MacDonald. The Orb, together with the sun rays and clouds of heaven were all hand beaten in copper; the Cross is made of a surgical stainless steel to avoid corrosion. It is 4.7 m high and weighs almost 1.5 tons. The production of the orb and cross was enabled by funds raised by the Dresden Trust, a British based charity with a substantial contribution from the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths. * cete

First Hafner foreign scholarship

Rudolf Kocea, graduate from the College of Art and Design, Burg Giebichenstein in Halle, will complete the "RRH Foreign Scholarship" awarded this year for the first time by the Pforzheim-based refining center C. Hafner GmbH & Co. Under the motto "Curiousity for the experimental instead of confirmation of the established", an international jury selected Kocea's work from the 23 male and female artists who had applied for the scholarship. The jury was extremely impressed with poetic translation of the topic of jewelry and also with his sensitivity towards the material. Kocea will continue his foreign studies at the Talinn College of Art in Estonia - learning in the process to command the filigree techniques in use there. The jury also decided to award three other participants with commendations; Hafner GmbH & Co. awarded these three with a material voucher worth 500 euros. The commendations went to David Bielander, graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Heike Gruber, graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts in Nuremberg and Sam-Tho Duong, Pforzheim College of Design. www.c-hafner.de * cete

Le Arti Orafe - geared for design

The Florence-based Jewelry College "Le Arti Orafe" is putting in its best efforts to make the jewelry show Orogemma taking place in Vicenza in Italy every September even more of a platform for designers. This is the reason why this reputable jewelry school is supporting building the Design Salon Vicenza by advertising to get international designers to attend the show (September 11 to 16, 2004). There will be a number of master classes in jewelry at the College in fail under the direction of internationally respected experts. Giovanni Corvaja will kick off the series in the "www. - working with thin wires" workshop from September 29 to October 1, 2004 with ultra-thin wires in cross-over areas of the goldsmith's art. Then, the Berlin-based jewelry designer Svenja John invites you to join her in pushing ahead from the second into the third dimension. Tanja Gallas will be introducing the electroplating technique she developed for coating the most delicate of paper objects with (precious) metals to create everyday jewelry. And Barbara Schmidt will present ways to turn your own creativity into your business' mainstay in her workshop on design management. Attendance is for jewelry designers and goldsmiths who are looking for new insights and want to encounter reputable designers for learning new techniques. Course fee 400 euros (300 euros for students). www.artiorafe.it * cete

Art and jewelry

All good things come (at least) in threes, said the organizers of the trade fairs Art Twente and Sieraad, which were held at the same time in Hengelo in Holland for the third time in October. The special attraction is the mixture of the range on offer: roughly a third of the exhibitors present applied arts, while the other two thirds of the expected 100 exhibitors (mainly from the Netherlands, but also from Germany, Great Britain and France, etc.) present contemporary jewelry design at the same time and in the same hall. The joint presentation of jewelry design, silverware and art has developed over the past few years to become an international platform for contemporary design. Visitors to the ExpoCenter Hengelo, right next to the German/Dutch border, can convince themselves of just how complementary these aspects are from October 9 to 13, 2004. A combined catalogue will be published to mark the trade fair. Opening times: Thursday, October 9: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday, October 10: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Saturday the 11^th to Monday the 13^th October: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. www.platformsieraad.nl or www.arttwente.nl * cete

The many-colored flowers amulet received the excellence award

The artist Sylvia Uhlenbruch from Oberhausen won the Excellence Award for 2004 at the 17^th International Closéonne Jewelry Contest with her "Bunte Blumen" amulet. The master silversmith and goldsmith and elementary designer is celebrating ten years of her studio in Oberhausen this year and numerous exhibitions and awards including museum purchases underscore her success. * kph

Mating jewelry in reverse

For one year, the exhibition series by the Swiss jewelry designer Bruna Hauert will run backwards: Since May 2004, the exhibition "Mating tools and connecting parts" has been continuously enriched month for month will the work by various designers on this topic; it will finally be complete in March 2005. The work by each of the designers must consist of three parts: a so-called mating tool, which is meant primarily as a proof of love for one's chosen sweetheart, and two connecting parts, partner rings that should be as unusually designed as possible but should still be wearable. Each first Saturday in the month when new work is added to the exhibition in Hauert's Zurich based gallery friends of Carlotta, there is a small celebration - with brunch and at least three new surprises. www.foc.ch * cete

Fine precious stone engravings

The Herbert Klein Studio for Fine Engravings in Idar-Oberstein is a specialist for producing modern engraved pieces of jewelry in all types of stones. Precious stone blossoms, leaves, fruits and shells, sea stars or snails made of amethyst, aquamarine and in a variety of tourmaline colors are produced in flawless beauty in sizes ranging from 2 to 6 cm. You can see unusual blossoms and rose sets or combinations of blossoms in single-color precious stones and the latest stylish colors of moonstone in their current collection. www.herbert-klein.de * kph

Pezzottait is the new precious stone of the 21^st century

In mid-2002, pink crystals were found in Madagascar that were offered in the trade as new pink beryls. The new stones have more intensive colors than the known morganites whose best qualities also come from Madagascar. It's the material that gives it the two-valence manganese as evidenced by spectroscopic studies. The nomenclature commission of the IMA (International Mineralogical Association) accepted the proposal of a number of Canadian and American gemologists and mineralogists in September of 2003 to name the new material pezzottait to pay tribute to the work of the Italian mineralogoist Dr. Federico Pezotta in researching the mineralogy of Madagascar. * kph

Striking colored stone quality

The Swabian specialist Alraune Lapidaries from Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany offers colored precious stones such as aquamarine, tourmaline, beryl, lolith, mandarin garnet or peridot to its international customers in a variety of sizes and qualities. These days, their bestseller is the Pearlie collection made of woven sweet-water cultivated pearl balls. Pearlies are available as chains, necklaces, earrings and armbands in a variety of sizes and colors. Alraune Lapidaries is a trade company active on an international scale and featuring its own product lines, extensive service and select qualities. It attends the major shows in Germany, Great Britain and the United States on an annual basis that bear out the innovative ideas for its products. info@alraune-lapidaries.de * kph

Reflections in stone

Bern Munsteiner, gemstone cutter and artist, has created an entirely original world of crystals. Far from the standard market value factors of gemstones of carats and purity, he was, as early as the nineteen sixties, the first contemporary artist to place the aesthetic qualities of an untreated mineral in the focus of his sculpture. The natural occlusions and "impurities" in the crystal are what attract him and what make the stones unique. Bern Munsteiner's sometimes magnificent, newly developed cutting techniques and his other times extremely large gemstone sculptures have seen him take revolutionary steps in the art of some cutting and grinding for over 40 years. The bilingual publication "Bernd Munsteiner - reflections in stone", which was released recently, documents his work in fantastic pictures and explanatory texts, emphasizing why Munsteiner's work is found in international public and private collections. www.landesmuseum-trier.de * cete

Watch project for goldsmiths

A new idea is giving goldsmith studios the tools for offering their own high-quality watches while allowing them to develop a major portion of its appearance. Many goldsmiths have thought about including watches in their featured assortment. To satisfy this need, Jean-Chrostophe Gyr, the Swiss representative of the Pforzheim-based Allgemeine Gold-und Silberscheideanstalt and editor of the trade journal GoldÓr, has come up with the idea of "Design Your Own Watch" for offering studios the tools to create their own watches. Part of this is providing prefabricated wax blocks to goldsmith studios for designing the shape of casings. Then, after the studio have done casting and before other processing steps are taken, CNC technology is used to turn out the cast casing blanks and the screwing threads needed for the watch are mounted. www.gyr.ch * Hencke

Launching the sales of cultures diamonds

Gemsmart, the exclusive sales partner of Gemesis Corporation in Europe, presented its cultured diamonds at the Inhorgenta Europe 2004 in Munich. They are manufactured under the same chemical and physical conditions as genuine diamonds millions of years ago and the International Gemological Institute (GIA) affirms their quality with a certificate and serial number. These cultured diamonds are available in sizes ranging from 0.25 to 1.75 carats where 3-carat stones are sold at prices one-fifth to one-tenth of mined diamonds. * kph

Livedisplay breathes life into shop window presentation

With the new, flexible Livedisplay, FortyTwo GbR shows how to use images and animation in the presentation of shop windows. Customers need more incentive to really be attracted to products than simple decoration. After all, it is by no means just the big firms that attract customers with huge trade fair stands and presentation displays. Local shops can also draw on this trend and actively approach customers, offering them more than just the opportunity to gaze at the products. The product designers at Forty Two, who already gained some renown with their gemstone presentation solution Gem Clipper®, recognized this trend and offer retailers and industry representatives at trade fairs solutions to present media elements. In this, Forty Two has a two-pronged strategy. It offers the complete design of the tailor-made presentation solutions: from selecting the monitors and the playback technology, via the external integration in the shop window decoration, through to programming the animation. After an analysis of the site requirements, such as adaptability to the general presentation, corporate identity and seasonal topics, simple operation and appealing exterior, Forty Two has developed an entire, finished product: the Livedisplay. Livedisplay, which comes in the size of a jewelry cabinet, is designed in such a way that the front design can be restricted very easily. The integrated media player can run video animations or slide shows. Therefore, a varied collection can be presented to customers overnight and at weekends. Forty Two GbR. Communication & design, from Frankfurt am Main was founded in 1994 and is managed by Bettina Zink and Stefan Lohmeyer. They draft presentation solutions on various levels. They design and produce on the basis of customer orders traditional advertising media, graphics, print and new media such as Internet presentations and also multimedia applications. www.42gbr.de/live * Heuer