#1 Social Club Members Newsletter
Dear Social Club Members,
2025 is here, and so are you—we love to see it!
The new digital publishing year is already in full swing, with twelve upcoming articles curated around the theme of LANGUAGE. Through these pieces, we explore visual languages, the communication of objects, and the significance of iconography and symbolism.
This year’s digital publishing features isabel wang pontoppidan (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) as guest editor. isabel is a Danish-Chinese writer, artistic researcher, and jewellery maker based in Amsterdam. Her practice is multifaceted, blending writing, performance, research, and jewellery into a dynamic, interdisciplinary approach and we are very excited to have her on board!
Missed us? Here’s what’s been happening…
LIT-IGATION
One maker’s entanglements with the slings and arrows of viral success.
By most metrics, Corrina Goutos (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) can be considered among the more successful contemporary jewellery artists of today. She is widely accredited, incredibly productive, and sells consistently, in no small part due to the pervasive online representation of her artistic practice, which she refers to as Anthrosmithing. A hybrid of found objects and personal tech devices combined with traditional piercing hardware, her work artfully covers a spectrum from large scale installation pieces to ultra-hip accessories worn by pop stars. Fresh, contemporary, and imminently accessible to a wide range of palettes, her pierced shell pieces are both delightfully wearable, and instantly recognisable.
Read the full interview by Margaret Munchheimer here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF THE SKIN
Article by Zoe Clark.
Jewellery represents human experience from its conception to use – our hands both create and adorn. We make objects and wear them as forms of self expression and our sense of self is shaped through our unique lived experience. My act is me. Your act is you. We are individual. It. Is. Personal.
Our memories, thoughts and ideas become embodied in this personal adornment object. We have something to say, yet communication transcends the spoken word and these words are instead made tangible. Jewellery conveys meaning without sound. But if it is a silent communicator and our sense of self varies, then between the exchange of hands, the maker’s intention and wearer’s perspective – creation and adornment – there is space for open interpretation. Numerous layers of meaning can exist within the object.
Continue reading here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)!
MARKINGS INTO A DIFFERENT WORLD
Article by Maru López.
Imagine you are in the bathroom of your favourite dive bar. Yeah, the one that is grimy, dark, and full of posters of upcoming shows. I bet the bathroom stalls have layers of stickers, drawings, and half conversations of people that, for a few minutes, were there. Why come ready with a marker to leave an imprint? A sticker in your pocket to leave behind?
Recently, while I waited in a long line, I looked at the wall of my neighbourhood bar with all the tags and stickers. To my mind came caves and the millenary markings that can be found in some of them. I thought of street lamps full of stickers. These intentional ways of leaving a trace behind that communicate with people you don’t know seemed like a sort of analog message board of a pre social media world.
Read more here (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)!
UPCOMING
March 2025
• Interview with Boris de Beijer about his solo show Artefactum 3000 (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) at Museum JAN.
• New Digital Publishing feature by Cecilie Fang (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).
• Munich Jewellery Week 2025 (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)!
• Current Obsession quarterly newsletter.
As always, we would love to hear from you in case you have any membership related questions at veronika@current-obsession.com (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)!
