Grey is conspicuously unobtrusive. In this exhibition it was spotlighted in all conceivable nuances between black and white, along with new materials that inspired jewellery artists in their respective eras.
Different mindsets are manifested in this colour spectrum: reticence in mourning jewellery crafted from iron, refined understatement in diamond jewellery, or dispassionate sobriety and rationality in Art Deco jewellery or in pieces designed in the tradition of the Bauhaus. Like no other colour, grey represents the modern era, whose most characteristic materials, i.e. concrete and steel, are also grey. In particular contemporary jewellery artists, like Ramon Puig Cuyàs, Katja Prins or Ruudt Peters, have meanwhile turned their attention to this colour spectrum, which is in stark contrast to pink.
With its vibrant chromatic depth, the latter immediately demands our attention. In the hue of Tyrian purple, it once demonstrated both secular and ecclesiastical power, and in contemporary fashion, pink has even been used intentionally to shock. Effectively contrasting the jewellery creations on display, this colour highlighted them quite indiscreetly.
A book with contributions by Cornelie Holzach, Julia Kleinbeck, Katja Poljanac and Andreas Volz has been published under the same title and is available in the museum shop for € 21.
Short video of the opening
Exhibition opening on Thursday, October 26, 2017, accompanied by the ballett ensemble of Pforzheim's Theatre under the direction of ballett director Guido Markowitz and choreographer Edoardo Novelli