Ornaments. Transparencies among history and design

“Transparent like spring water, reminiscing the light works of Roman glass masters, and recalling a jewel with thousands of perforations where the look of the observer is drawn away towards imaginary worlds where he can get lost in his own peculiar way.”

After precisely two years from the first event (2017 – Gioielli tra storia e design – Jewels among history and design) ORNAMENTA. Trasparencies among history and design is back. The show is promoted by Venice Design Week and by MiBAC in collaboration with the Associazione Studio D archeologia didattica museologia and it is sponsored by the Municipal Administration of Adria.

The event was inaugurated on Saturday 11th May at the National Archeological Museum of Adria and will be carried on until mid-October 2019.

The dialogue established between past and future in this second edition of the show is confirmed by the combination of jewels of contemporary designers selected by VDW – Venice Design Week and the wonderful antique glasses guarded in the depository of the Museum, which have been brought “to light” for the occasion, given that they are usually not exposed to the public: the main and common theme for all the elements is “transparency”, declined according to different suggestions, references, emotions and evocative details.

The works of contemporary designers exposed at the show have been selected among the participants of the international contest of VDW Jewelry Selection 2017 (Acqua – Water) and 2018 (Oltre lo sguardo – Beyond the look). The materials employed go from paper, silver and gold, to resin, acrylic colour, linoleum, precious stones and even xylography ink.

The combination of ancient finds and the jewels created by designers Francesca Di Virgilio, Susanne Elstner, Anna Fanigina, Elisabetta Carozzi, Bruno Micolano, M.Luisa Palazzo, Andreia Popescu, Špela Čuk and Cristina Turano is more explicit in some pieces, while it is more hidden, intriguing and expressed by means of cultural and literary references in others.

This presentation was then put in relation with the INSTRUMENTADESIGN contest, intended for creative works. The contest is addressed to local and international designers who will participate by creating a “piece of work” inspired to one of the finds exposed at the Archeological Museum. Subscription is possible until 15 June 2019. There is an incentive for continual reflection between antiqueness and contemporaneity, creativity and new ideas for jewels that can find inspiration in the past.

by Gloria Reali