Artistar Jewels 2019 – The world tour in 500 contemporary jewels

Sponsored by the municipality of Milan and, for the first time, by Cna Federmoda, the event is occupying all Palazzo Bovara in Milan. In the spotlight, mostly unreleased collections: creativity takes the scene

Over 700 square meters of exhibition, hosted at Palazzo Bovara, in Corso Porta Venezia in Milan. This is the location of Artistar Jewels 2019, the sixth edition of the international event dedicated to body ornaments. And, for the first time, the entire building is exclusively dedicated to the exhibition, with its 500 contemporary jewels, sculptural ornaments, some of which being ironic and on the verge of wearability, as part of an experiential path divided by themes: avant-garde, innovation, precious and recycled items.

Becoming more international

The 2019 edition sets a record: for the first time agreements were made with organizations outside Europe: the Bini Gallery in Australia, Ame Gallery in Hong Kong and Alice Floriano in Brazil. All 14 galleries involved in the project represent a reference point for contemporary jewelry and provide the audience with a mix of collections worked with ancient and modern techniques.

At Palazzo Bovara it is also possible to admire the creations of three main characters of the art world and of contemporary jewelry, whose work is recognized internationally: Turi Simeti, one of the most appreciated and popular Italian contemporary artists. He is known for his inspiration to the sixties. German Ute Decker, who works in London and is renowned for her sculptural jewelry. Zaha Hadid is among her clients. Her creations are made in 100% recycled and Fair-trade certified gold and silver. She is one of the first supporters of ethical jewelry. The geometrical jewels and imposing structures of French artist and designer Christophe Burger are also on display.

Techniques and selection criteria

The creations exhibited are all of very high artistic and technical level. Most of them were designed for this occasion and have never been exposed to the public before. High artistic value, technical experimentation, design, research of style, personal interpretation of traditional techniques, originality of themes and technological innovation: these are the main evaluation criteria. The techniques employed are very different – from lost wax to laser cutting, from filigree to hand finishing, and 3D print, which is becoming more and more popular in this field. The animal world with its innumerable facets, the ironic and uninhibited exploration of the human body, the critique of the world of social networks are some of the most interesting themes.

Gold, silver, titanium, leather, fabric, polymers, diamonds, quartzes, even meteorites, lichens and nanosital are among the selected materials with their strong, unreleased and refined combinations.