The gallery RVNHUS, owned by ceramist Mette Ravn, is situated in the heart of old Kolding, in a meticulously renovated three-storey townhouse from 1899. On the ground floor, the room forms itself around a beautiful brass counter in two semicircles, flanked by abstract paintings, figurative clay sculptures and rustic ceramic pieces, while the ceiling is adorned with a gigantic art deco inspired prism lamp. The owner’s ceramic workshop is also housed on the premises, but the primary focus is on the exhibition space for craft, especially jewellery and glass.
The original pine staircase and carved banisters lead to the second floor and the Liquid Modernity jewellery exhibition itself. In contrast to the ground floor, the rooms unfold in a more classic white cube format. The works of no fewer than nineteen jewellery artists from twelve countries, among others, USA, Taiwan, Spain, Ukraine, Holland, Germany and Denmark are presented in white display cases and on the walls. And what amazing works they are! Sculptural, poetic and amorphous jewellery pieces in a wide range of materials, from precious metals to wood, clay and resin casts of asphalt. Far from all the artists are goldsmiths – ceramists, glassblowers, sculptors and designers are also among the exhibitors. They have been carefully selected based on craftsmanship, conceptual working methods and aesthetic expression.
The exhibition theme is based on sociologist Zygmunt Bauman’s book Liquid Modernity. He describes our fast-paced modern age, where nothing is static, instead everything is always changeable, and man is in a state of constant change. This is interpreted in both a concrete and abstract manner in the exhibition. There is something absolutely fluid about Katharina Beilstein’s substantial rings in soft geometric shapes and polished metals. They are perfectly formed from all sides, just like a sculpture, and this particular aesthetic approach also allows for a variety of ways in which the rings can be worn on your fingers.
Annette Dam’s original, voluminous and humorous works have the notion of a multifaceted existence as their starting point. This is reflected in neckpieces with titles like, ’Happiness comes in many forms’ and ’Times Combined’ with, among other things, contrasting expressions and materials. In the latter, a cut citrine set in a box, a chunky silver chain and an unpolished piece of amber are merged with a large blue epoxy-coloured lump of resin. What has value is up to the viewer.
In Danielle Embry’s series ‘Just Breathe’, memories from places and landscapes are materialised in large-scale brooches so that the memory can be worn physically on the body. The same insistence on freezing a moment is also seen in Chao-Hsien Kuo’s bracelets and brooches, which mimic a whirlwind, a leaf on the road, a ray of sunshine. On the whole, slowness and awareness of the need to stop for a bit and connect with one’s surroundings is the overall message of the exhibition. This is what Mette Ravn tells us as she shares her great knowledge, passion and love of crafts when showing us around. The same message is also the starting point for her jewellery, which in earthy tones and rustic shapes is a tribute to clay and the unpredictability of the ceramic process.
Liquid Modernity is an exciting gallery exhibition, with an impressive selection of international conceptual jewellery displaying the utmost workmanship. Usually, you have to visit international galleries to find similar works. An uncompromising spirit can be felt in both the exhibition and the rest of the building, and therefore a written introduction to the exhibition theme could have only strengthened the message. Regardless, you need to stop and inspect the craftsmanship, the refinement and the story of the jewellery’s creation in order to get the most out of Liquid Modernity. And, via the simple and calm exhibition space, soft music and competent dissemination, that’s what happened that afternoon. Time actually slowed down for a while.
About the exhibition
Liquid Modernity – Art Jewelry Group Exhibition
4. 11-17.12 2022
Rvnhus
Klostergade 12
6000 Kolding
Exhibitors: Agustina Ros (ES), Anastasiya Slanko (UA), Annette Dam (DK), Chao-Hsien Kuo (FL), Crush Jewel (ES), Danielle Embry (US), Esther Heite (DE), Hongxia Wang (DK), Kalkidan Hoex (NL), Katharina Beilstein (DE), Kim Buck (DK), Laôma Atelier (LU), Lydia Martin (US), Mette Ravn (DK), Mette T. Jensen (DK), Mur Jewellery (SE), Nadine Kuffner (DE), Pei Wu (TW), Stefanie Verhoef (NL)
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Bio
Rosita Satell is a designer and has a Ph.D. in design culture from the University of Southern Denmark. Her research areas are design, furniture, media and museums.