#5 Social Club Members Newsletter

Dear Social Club members!

Today, we proudly present the fourth edition of OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival 2023. And you are invited! 

In addition to a rich programming by our participants and partners – see our full programme on www.obsessedwithjewellery.com (Abre numa nova janela) – Current Obsession will produce three events throughout the month of November. 

We hope to welcome you at all of the events below. Save the Date(s)!

Mining for Solutions

A Panel Talk on Sustainable Practices in Fashion and Jewellery

11.11.2023, 14:00 – 17:00
Fashion for Good Museum, Rokin 102, Amsterdam

For the occasion of Obsessed Jewellery Festival ‘23, Current Obsession and Amsterdam Fashion for Good Museum team up to present a panel talk discussing the ubiquitous issue of ecologically sustainable production practices in both the Fashion and Jewellery industries. As two major contributors to culture and creativity, both fashion and jewellery are also among the most personal and intimate objects we possess and interact with, and offer some of the most fruitful terrain for bringing a conversation on sustainability directly to the consumer.

However, the obscurity and mystery surrounding where our material resources come from, presents one of the greatest obstacles to achieving this. And information for the public, on what, how and why to buy responsibly, is yet another. Please join us for this very special panel event, in which we address these very issues, and hear from leading thinkers from both worlds, about how we can tackle our common concerns, from within our respective communities.

Panelists:
Katharina Dettar
Stijntje Jaspers (Fibershed NL)
Mariel Matute
Jaime Valderrama (Alliance for Responsible Mining)

Moderator: Margaret Munchheimer

Please register here (Abre numa nova janela) 

This event is supported by Pictoright Fonds (Abre numa nova janela).

Slouching Towards Sustainability

Article by Margaret Munchheimer

‘‘The first time I truly encountered the question of sustainability in jewellery, it was explicitly asked by a piece by Katharina Dettar, placed in the window of Galerie Marzee, in 2016. It was, at first glance, a massive pile of rocks. But it was powerful, with a centre of gravity all its own, which stood alone in that window, quietly revealing itself to be one of the strongest things in the room. On closer inspection, perched atop the careful arrangement of stones, was a simple band of 24k gold. Leaning in to read the title card, I felt the final element fall into place, with the instant recognition of an inconvenient yet undeniable truth. ‘1.540= 0,0021kg’. In other words, 1540 kg of stone to make one 2g gold ring. (Just for reference, that’s one and a half tonnes..) I was nothing short of dazzled.’’

Read the full article here (Abre numa nova janela).

GEMZ

Unpacked

18.11.2023, 19:00 – 21:00
Nieuwe Instituut, Museumpark 25, Rotterdam

Emerging from the far corners of the world, eleven bodies of work arrive at a metaphorical processing facility. Here, the backgrounds, geographies, resources and conditions of the objects at hand are unpacked and inventorised. 

The inventory, traditionally associated with overseeing storage, takes on a new role as a space for contemplation. Its purpose lies in guiding visitors through an incomplete and intricate exploration of one-of-a kind artworks, unfolding their layers — the technical, the conceptual, and the material.  

GEMZ: Unpacked showcases the results of the eponymous talent development programme (Abre numa nova janela) by Current Obsession. 

Participating Artists:
Andreea Cojocaru, Dominik Cunningham, Elise Hoebeke, Fleuri La Belle Ngapy, Karoline Healy, Maureen Kortenbusch, Pauline Hepner, Sulo Bee, Xinyi Wang, Yu Fujiwara and Zofia Skoroszewska.

Initiated and curated by: Current Obsession.
Text in collaboration with: Irma Földényi

Please register here (Abre numa nova janela). 

GEMZ is supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Abre numa nova janela), Gemeente Rotterdam (Abre numa nova janela), Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (Abre numa nova janela), Stichting Stokroos (Abre numa nova janela), DIVA (Abre numa nova janela) and Nieuwe Instituut (Abre numa nova janela)

DEAD DARLINGS

All Strings, No Regrets!

30.11.2023, 18:00 – 22:30
Fashion for Good Museum, Rokin 102, Amsterdam

Dead Darlings will stage their second anonymous auction for OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival on 30 November 2023. The auction-performance will serve as a fabulous closing event for the festival, celebrating the theme All Strings Attached!

Dead Darlings is an anonymous art auction initiative established in Amsterdam. Their platform delves into the intricate dynamics of the love triangle involving artists, artworks, and collectors. By blending elements of performance and exhibition, they spotlight artefacts whose value remains enigmatic—these are our dead darlings. This term encapsulates works that, for various reasons, fell through the cracks and have never seen the light of day.

Dead Darlings kickstart their auctions with reasonable starting prices and by maintaining anonymity between the lot and its creator until after the sale, they re-assess notions of commerce and value, while celebrating each and every artwork that comes under their hammer.

Dead Darlings #17 — All Strings, No Regrets! gives the makers a chance to bring forth and highlight an artwork they want to apologise to, not for! In other words Dead Darlings invite artists to share a piece they may have undervalued, either because they failed to recognise its inherent beauty, or struggled to comprehend its purpose, or even doubted its potential to be cherished by others.

Through this auction Dead Darlings give artists the opportunity to apologise to these neglected artworks before setting them free to find the true love they have always deserved!

Please register here (Abre numa nova janela). 

This event is supported by Stimuleringsfonds Creatieve Industrie (Abre numa nova janela), Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst (Abre numa nova janela).

Catch Tania Theodorou's article 'WHY THE DUST NEVER SETTLES ON DEAD DARLINGS' on the Current Obsession (Abre numa nova janela) website this coming Friday!