Connecting by way of the Physique – Artwork Jewellery Discussion board

Over the past yr, The Physique Collective has offered exhibitions and talks, underpinned by the physique as a topic for interrogation. The jewelers Katja Prins, Chequita Nahar, and Anke Huyben make up the collective. For them, the physique is never the central focus for jewelers, however “relatively serves primarily as a ‘service’ of the jewellery.” The Physique Collective needs to increase jewellery design from, as they understand it, its isolationist place. They consider that, like different inventive disciplines, up to date jewellery is linked to the social problems with at the moment. They subsequently current jewellery alongside work by artists from different disciplines who additionally place the physique entrance and middle. By connecting and constructing relationships with these different disciplines, they goal to increase the sphere so it might extra readily address a zeitgeist encompassing speedy technological developments, societal shifts, and a seek for which means.

Vicki Mason: How did this challenge start?
Anke Huyben, Chequita Nahar, and Katja Prins: Katja was a visiting lecturer at Cranbrook Academy of Artwork, the place Anke was learning. Their shared pursuits sparked the thought for a future collaboration. In 2023, they traveled to Schmuck, in Munich, and reconnected with Anke’s former trainer, Chequita. Over a full of life dinner, their dialog introduced that early thought to life—marking the beginning of The Physique Mission.

The place are you every based mostly, how usually do you get collectively, who is nice at what, and have you ever set your roles? Or is the collaboration versatile and nimble?
Up to now, working collectively has been a really intuitive course of. We’re lucky to seek out ourselves naturally aligned in terms of choosing artists, shaping shows, and making key selections. That robust sense of connection and shared imaginative and prescient is one thing we worth deeply.

Although based mostly in several Dutch cities—Katja in Amsterdam, Anke in Rotterdam, and Chequita in Maastricht—our collaboration flows naturally, constructed on belief and shared imaginative and prescient. We complement one another and share tasks fluidly. We meet weekly through Zoom and typically in individual, drawing on our numerous experiences to complement the challenge. This intuitive teamwork helps us align on artist choice and key selections, strengthening The Physique Mission.

A core goal of the challenge is to attach with artists working with the physique as topic in different disciplines, reminiscent of sculpture and efficiency. What works, themes, supplies, and processes have jewelers responded to within the works you’ve proven?
Throughout our shows, jewelers instructed us they have been impressed by the performative, tech-integrated, and conceptual works, which prompted them to rethink supplies, strategies, and meanings. Contributors mentioned that themes like id, vulnerability, and transformation struck a chord, whereas publicity to numerous practices inspired them to contemplate experimentation and collaboration. Finally, The Physique Mission may act as a bridge—broadening views and reshaping how the jewellery neighborhood sees itself in relation to the broader artwork world.

You’ve introduced trend designers, videographers, photographers, and positive artists into your challenge. How have they responded to your jewellery items and your goal to create dialogue by way of a shared topic?
Their response was enthusiastic, particularly as they found artists outdoors their common circles. This cross-pollination of disciplines and backgrounds introduced a refreshing perspective and added an surprising richness to the expertise—not just for us, however for a lot of others concerned. The Physique Mission turned greater than an exhibition—it turned a catalyst for shared inquiry, evolving strategies, and surprising inventive dialogue.

How do you discover and choose the artists you’ve curated into your exhibitions?
We every introduced our personal networks and views, and thru open, cross-disciplinary conversations, the primary group of members naturally emerged. Museum visits, exhibitions, and social media helped us uncover contemporary voices and surprising connections.

Key to The Physique Mission was a robust sense of materiality and works that have interaction the physique by way of type, course of, or emotional resonance. We welcomed a variety of tones, from playful to contemplative, and aimed to create dialogue between design, up to date jewellery, and visible artwork.

Although cross-disciplinary affect is widespread in lots of fields, it’s nonetheless underrepresented in jewellery. With this challenge, we wished to spotlight its worth—and, throughout Schmuck, guarantee a transparent hyperlink to jewellery by way of materials, scale, or sensibility.

You offered at Dutch Design Week in 2024 and at Schmuck this yr. Had been the works made particularly for The Physique Mission?
Up to now, The Physique Mission has featured current works, however we’re open to increasing the challenge in new instructions. Sooner or later, we might invite artists to create items round a central theme, or launch an open name to herald broader voices and views.

You need to discover and query the connection between the physique and the article. At this level within the challenge’s life, what solutions have you ever drawn?
Exploring the body-object relationship has really raised extra questions than solutions—which is what makes it so wealthy. The Physique Mission reveals the physique as fluid: a stage, a collaborator, and even absent. This challenges static views of bijou, encouraging a extra dynamic, interdisciplinary, and important perspective on what jewellery could be at the moment.

What have you ever discovered in regards to the physique up to now? Has this filtered into your personal practices? Has it modified the way you view your personal physique or the way you put on, see, take into consideration, and expertise jewellery?
Katja Prins: It’s nonetheless too early to attract definitive conclusions. However I really feel that it’s already influencing my creative apply in methods I had not anticipated. The conversations and collaborations are subtly shaping my work, and I anticipate that affect to develop.

Anke Huyben: Working with Katja and Chequita has challenged my assumptions. Their totally different views push me to discover unfamiliar approaches—even when it’s uncomfortable—which ends up in progress.

Chequita Nahar: What excites me most is the potential for surprising connections—whether or not with know-how, medication, or youthful artists. These encounters remind me how a lot there’s nonetheless to study.

Does a examine of the physique assist us perceive what it’s to be human?
Completely! The physique is vital to understanding what it means to be human, because it connects us to the world and shapes our expertise. On the identical time, our relationship with objects—and even digital selves—expands this understanding, elevating the query: which physique are we actually referring to?

Your aim “is to present the self-discipline of bijou design a lift during which it doesn’t place itself as an remoted self-discipline however is aware of the best way to relate and join with different disciplines and social points.” How will you in the end perceive the affect of the challenge, and how will you measure and assess the extent to which you met your numerous goals?
That’s a troublesome query to reply—maybe it’s nonetheless too early to inform. From our perspective, the jewellery world usually feels fairly closed off and considerably insular. We consider that solely after we begin seeing extra interdisciplinary tasks rising, or when extra artwork jewelers start exhibiting outdoors the same old venues and circles, will we actually sense that the sphere is opening up.

Shifting perceptions takes time and persistence. The Physique Mission goals to reposition jewellery inside broader cultural conversations, reaching past the artwork world into training, science, and public areas. Occasions like Schmuck confirmed us how numerous audiences can spark significant, surprising engagement.

Exhibiting at Schmuck was an incredible expertise. Positioned between huge galleries and craftspeople, we felt a bit like outsiders however acquired such optimistic suggestions. The honest confirmed that innovation in jewellery is valued. It sparked conversations throughout disciplines, motivating us to maintain creating The Physique Mission.

We measure affect by way of casual suggestions—conversations, collaborations, new alternatives—and hope to doc this extra absolutely over time. For now, the challenge stays a piece in progress, rising organically.

Would you think about touring an iteration outdoors Europe?
We’re desirous to take The Physique Mission past Europe. Exploring new cultural contexts would deliver contemporary views, audiences, and collaborations, becoming our aim of fostering cross-cultural dialogue. Whereas centered on present tasks, we’re considering long-term and hope to comprehend a global version when the correct alternative comes.

The opinions said right here don’t essentially categorical these of AJF.

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