Material Thought of Jewelry Journeys

For the second time now, international jewelry artists are setting off for boundless networking of their ideas and inspirations. Jewellery Journey, a unique, international Internet and exhibition project for jewelry art, has since August 2005 once more enabled this form of topical pooling. The theme this time is "Air".

What is air? The region above the ground? Or, as a symbol of atmosphere, is it more like "a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing"? These are thoughts that have occupied Marta Boino Eliseu from Portugal since taking part in the second round of the project, originally initiated in Hamburg. Since its launch in 2002, Jewellery Journey has become a coveted communication forum for jewelry artists around the world. They blog in order to exchange ideas on the set topic.

The idea for virtual networking among jewelry artists is based on the assumption that communication and network contacts in jewelry design has not yet progressed as far as it has in other disciplines.

After all, although jewelry art has developed to become an independent style within art since the nineteen sixties, the project managers Katrin Arp and Stefanie Mayer are convinced that most jewelry artists largely find themselves in a situation of isolation. Katrin Arp: "Internet networking motivates and is a lot of fun. Simply finding out that there are a hole bunch of people around the world that feel the topic of jewelry is just as important as one feels oneself. The quality of work and the personal ambition experience progress by networking with fellow minds." Jewellery Journey shows multimedia facilities can be used in the field of jewelry design. Indeed, the multifaceted and global distribution by Internet provides multiple benefits: the project offers an artistic and communicative platform to more than just the participants. The varied spectrum of contemporary jewelry art is additionally made accessible to a very broad section of the general public, who can at any time follow the blogs written by the designers.

Mutual processes and global temporary exhibitions

The second edition of the artistic dialogue within Jewellery Journey - the first topic started in October 2002 with the topic "journey" - is entirely dedicated to "Air". The challenge for the artists is to render air, an intangible and invisible element, touchable and wearable. The project's Internet website www.jewelleryjourney.de offers the communication forum for thoughts, questions, discussions, photos or sketches on the common topic. The participants become virtually acquainted on the basis of the public discussion and also take part in people's design process.

Until now, seven participants from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Belgium, Portugal and Germany have focused intensely on the topic, engaging in avid communication on the topic. After the three month virtual dialogue, the jewelry objects created by approximately 20 participants in the network will set off on a real journey around the world in a temporary exhibition. The exhibition will call on the home towns of the jewelry designers. The participants will create their "own" exhibition where they live - with any necessary support from the organizers of Jewellery Journey. A catalogue accompanying the exhibition will communicate the project objectives in word and image. It is worth mentioning that the project managers are keen to acquire sponsors for this.

www.jewelleryjourney.de