Beyond Adornment, smyckedesignutställning på MEO

Swedish jewellery art and metal craft today is positioned somewhere between the world of craft and that of art. Though these works tend to no longer be occupied with problems of wearability and decoration they still deal with questions related to the traditional idea of jewellery. The precious materials and acquired workmanship for gold and silver smithing, has limited the expressions and development in this area for a long time. Today these works appear in new, alternative materials and ways of expressions, expanding the field of this particular category of art. 

The art of adornment is one of the most ancient human arts of all and is practised all over the world. Through the course of history mankind has adorned himself using both primitive as well as exclusive materials and various techniques to achieve beauty and power. Adornment has been and still is an important means of expressing wealth and status, making a statement, signifying a certain belief and as a sign of alliance or as protection from evil forces. An object or ornament obtains a particular meaning when placed on the body. It becomes an extension of, or even a part of the wearer. The human body is frequently seen as the subject in contemporary art and is problematised in an infinite numbers of questions. This focus comes even more natural to the art of adornment, which is particular in its kind, as it always has a connection to the body.

Our aim with Beyond Adornment is to present the current status of jewellery art in Sweden and to discuss the historical subject of adornment as well as raise questions about body, beauty and decoration. With this catalogue and the following essays we wish to examine this subject in a broader perspective and from different disciplines.

We wish to give our warmest thanks to the artists, contributing writers and the hosting institutions for making this project possible.

Sissi Westerberg
Veronica Wiman

Curators


* * * * * * * * * *

Open: April 2. - April 30. 2004

Location:   MEO–Kortárs Művészeti Gyűjtemény
1047 Budapest
József Attila u. 4–6.

Opening hours: Tuesday- Sunday: 11 – 18
Friday: 11 - 22 óráig
Mondays closed.


* * * * * * * * * *

INVITATION

During the opening days of the exhibition Beyond Adornment a programme is arranged at Meo Art Foundation. Lectures will be given and a workshop will be held. The programme aims to present Swedish contemporary art and craft and to encourage a wider perspective on adornment.

The lectures will include a presentation of the exhibition, an introduction to Swedish contemporary craft and the border crossing tendencies in the field of craft in Sweden today. Issues and questions we wish to address; what is adornment? What is contemporary craft? The body as art scene. The object as a part of or as an extension of the body. Reshaping and manipulation. The human psychological need for decoration and ornamentation. All lectures and workshop are given in English by the exhibition curators: Sissi Westerberg and Veronica Wiman.

Time

Sunday 4/4 14.00  Open to the public

Place  
MEO Kortárs Művészeti Gyűjtemény Budapest
1047 Budapest
József Attila u. 4-6

Welcome!

MEO Art Foundation, Swedish Institute