MAD Brussels literally puts contemporary jewellery in the spotlight
Exhibition until May 5th
Brussels Jewellery Week has conquered our capital for the second time. This ten-day festival puts contemporary jewellery centre stage and focuses on the innovation often found in a precious gem. From ocean waste plastics and bits of road surface to tape and corn. No material too crazy to get started with. The main exhibition PARTICLE[S] at MAD Brussels gives a stage to more than 80 international jewellery designers during the main exhibition. For this, Marie Douel designed an adapted scenography that literally places the jewellery in the spotlight.
PARTICLE[S]
On our planet dominated by the urgency of transformation, PARTICLE[S] proposes a variation on the theme of those tiny forces, their active solidarity and hidden power. Particles can merge into larger wholes, forming the basis of all creativity. Their delicate composition ultimately creates a work of art or, on the contrary, creates chaos. Within this theme, Brussels-based Marie Douel created a minimalist yet challenging scenography. Using eight beams of light, the scenography forms a setting for the jewellery. The particles reflect the light and the light shapes the space.
MAD Brussels gives a stage to no fewer than 83 Belgian and international artists during the PARTICLE[S] exhibition. The selected artists include some big names in contemporary jewellery, such as Japanese artist Arata Fuchi and Belgian artist Thierry Bontridder, as well as emerging designers known for their daring and talent, such as Charlotte Vanhoubroeck (BE), Joani Groewald (ZA) and Evgenia Elanic (GE).
Several Brussels artists also show their work. Among them, Åsa Elmstam will exhibit two brooches she made from recycled silver and coal. With these, she denounces the persistent use of fossil fuels. The coal used was found on a beach in Sweden, a place where this material is not naturally present. During World War II, several ships were sunk by mines off the Swedish coast, this caused the beach to be polluted. Raphaëlle Léaux aims to use her jewellery, called All living beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, to confront the public with the speed at which life on earth is disappearing. The necklace is made of 268 rings engraved with the Latin names of all mammals threatened with extinction. With The Jewel in the Crown, Charlotte Van de Velde reinterprets the crown as a universal symbol of power and prestige. This radiant headpiece consists of fifteen rings, mounted on a solid silver necklace and wrapped with a velvet ribbon. Together, these small and modest pieces form a crown; the most exclusive and prestigious among jewellery archetypes.
Practical information
25.04.2024 - 05.05.2024
The PARTICLE[S] exhibition takes place at MAD Brussels: Nieuwe Graanmarkt 10, 1000 Brussels. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge every day (except Wednesday May 1st) from 11am to 6pm.
For more information and the full programme: www.brusselsjewelleryweek.com
For more information or interview requests, please contact: