NEW TRADITIONAL JEWELLERY GROWS INTO A BIENNIAL EVENT
THEME INTERNATIONAL DESIGN CONTEST AND EXHIBITION IN 2010: TRUE COLOURS
Starting with the fourth edition, New Traditional Jewellery (NTJ) will become a biennial event.
The three preceding editions of this international design contest and the ensuing travelling exhibitions have been proof of the success of this project and its right to exist. The quality requirements as to the nature and scope of and entries for the event are becoming increasingly strict. In order to meet these requirements in a professional manner NTJ will become a biennial design contest.
The next edition will be in 2010. For the design contest and exhibition 2010 the technical jury of New Traditional Jewellery (NTJ) has chosen the theme ‘True Colours’ because literally as well as figuratively this theme offers considerable scope for inspiration.
The 2010 theme: 'True Colours'
Showing your true colours means that you show what your real attitudes and qualities are.
You can approach True Colours from a social perspective; society is full of topical colour coding.
Other examples may be found in heraldry, folklore and science.
True Colours refers to colours and pigments. Over the centuries the palette of art history has been determined by precious mineralogical and biological pigments that were obtained from ground semi-precious stones, processed metals, and earth, seeds and plants – materials that did not always bear the test of time; in the course of time white lead e.g. turned black.
The link between the theme ‘True Colours’ and contemporary jewellery design is obvious. From time immemorial the significance and appreciation of jewellery have pre-eminently been determined by colour.
From the use of gold or silver to enamels and mineralogical and biological stones: colour is a language. In the seventies and eighties it became manifest how rich this language is. The application of textiles and Perspex in jewellery led to a new form language and use of colour – an important stage in the emancipation of contemporary jewellery design.
True Colours is about the history, meaning, value, magic and power of the language of colour.
The importance of NTJ
For every edition of New Traditional Jewellery an inspiring theme is chosen.
Participants are challenged to reshape historical or traditional jewellery. They do not submit just their design - they must also submit pictures and information about the historical or traditional ornament on which their concept is based.
This is the characteristic added value of NTJ: past and present are bridged by artists in a very personal way.
A technical jury selects fifty to seventy designs which are on show in an exhibition during the SIERAAD fair, where the winners of NTJ are also officially announced.
When taking part in this contest, jewellery designers from all over the world make use of a new platform where they give shape to their vision of a tradition and a theme. This design contest and the ensuing travelling, international exhibition have become a showcase for developments in contemporary jewellery in the new millennium.
Foundation Art in Business is the initiator of New Traditional Jewellery. Its objective is the promotion of knowledge and appreciation of the art of jewellery in the business world, among private individuals and civil authorities. In this ways FAB wants to bridge the gap between artists and buyers and between tradition and today’s world.
The technical jury NTJ 2008 with the theme ‘Intimacy’ consisted of:
Christel Trimborn, Germany, journalist
Carin Reinders, director CODA Museum, Apeldoorn (NL)
Isabella van den Bos, collector of jewellery art
Herman Hermsen, Jewellery artist and Professor of Jewellery and Product Design at the Düsseldorf Higher Vocational Training College
Astrid Berens, Director SIERAAD
Marjan Unger, Art historian and author of many articles on jewellery and other fields of design
Theo Smeets, university of applied sciences – trier dept. gemstone & jewellery design campus idar-oberstein
** The themes of the preceding editions of NTJ are "Traditional costumes and Folklore", "Symbols of Faith" and "Intimacy".
