[im-mà-gi-nà] – THE JEWELLERY ARTISTS’ WORKS AND THEIR NOTEBOOKS
[im-mà-gi-nà] showcases the jewellery/objects made by contemporary jewellery artists along with their rarely seen notebooks.
The Italian word “Immagina” means “imagine”, coming from Latin imago. By imagination, we mean that particular form of thought, which does not follow fixed rules or logical links but presents itself as a free reproduction and processing of the content of sensory experience, linked to a certain affective state and, often, oriented around a specific theme. The power of imagination is the driving force behind all creative works. As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
When the imagination unfolds in dimensions, artworks start to take shape. Through creators giving materials and forms to the imagination, many great artworks and designs were born. As artists create mental images in their mind, the pens and notebooks at hand become the most intuitive and immediate tool to express on paper in sync with the brain. German conceptual artist Joseph Beuys said, “Drawing is the first visible form in my works… the changing point from the invisible powers to the visible thing.” On these manuscripts, we could find a range of ideas, notes, choices, annotations, inspirations, and languages that are depositories of the design process: an ideational phase, the refinement of the concept, the verification, and correction during the course of work. The manuscript records the imagination, and also allows the viewer to read the hands and brain at work. The quality of authenticity, readability, privateness, randomness of the manuscript protrudes its special value in this era of digital copy paste and image overflow.
[im-mà-gi-nà] takes the audience “behind the scene,” some steps before the finished/polished work, to understand not only the way of working of the artists but even more important, of thinking. Just as looking at a marble sculpture before it is smoothed off gives us the opportunity to see how and where the chisel has been used. Seeing the notebooks/sketchbooks together with the finished works allow us to understand the why and how of the artists’ imagination.
“Alchimia Contemporary Jewellery School”, the co-organizer of the event, was established in 1998 in Florence, Italy. Over the 22 years, Alchimia has developed into one of the leading contemporary jewellery school in Europe. By inheriting the Italian tradition of craftsmanship and working closely with many contemporary masters, the school has guided many international artists to create outstanding innovative works. The 24 creators in this exhibition include the school’s prominent international teachers and graduates. By bringing the otherwise private manuscripts under the spotlight displayed in parallel with the works, we hope to bring a better appreciation of the ins and outs of the creative process: from invisible to tangible, abstract to concrete, concept to practice and to highlight the multi-faceted creative approaches of contemporary jewellery and metalworking.
Participating artists (in alphabetical order)
Silvia Bonardi, YuChun Chen, Francesco Coda, Elisa Deval, Yu-Fang Hu, Meiri Ishida, Sayaka Ito, Anastasia Kandaraki, Sanaa Khalil, Marisa Leenutaphong, JunChang Lu, Lucia Massei, Carla Movia, Deema Murad, Evert Nijland, Sarah Ordóñez, Alessia Prati, Enrica Prazzoli, Yara Diaz Salles, Lucy Sarneel, Yanis Turcarelli, Gabi Veit, Robean Visschers, Shuang Yue
Exhibition Dates : April 17th – May 31st 2020
Time : Tue.-Sun. 9:30-17:30
Venue : NTCRI Taipei Branch | No.41 Nanhai Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei 10066, Taiwan
website: https://immagina2.webnode.tw
www.ntcri.gov.tw/taipei/
www.alchimia.it
Contact person: YuChun Chen
Advisor | Ministry of Culture of Taiwan
Organizer | National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute
Co-organizer | ALCHIMIA contemporary jewellery school in Firenze
Curator | Yu Chun Chen
Visual design | Alessia Prati, Sasson Kung
Special thanks | Tien Tien Circle Creative, AT object studio,I Ting Wang / NTUA Project Assistant Professor Department of Craft and Design
Check out the VIRTUAL TOUR of the exhibition
Photo credits | Odie Yang
