Chiara Cavallo: Make a wish, make a knot!

Chiara Cavallo is a member of the Initiation 2017/Sieraad International Art Jewellery Fair Amsterdam. Initiation 2017 is curated by Loukia Richards and Christoph Ziegler aka ZLR Betriebimperium. Chiara came to Athens for the preparation of her Sieraad project and went back to Italy with a solo show in Athens – held under the auspices of the Instituto Italiano di Cutura – which worked as a “rehearsal” to the November show, new friends – such as silversmith and artist Ludwig Menzel of Berlin (member of Initiation 2017/Munich Jewellery Week) and lots of notes! The interview is her feedback on how she perceived life in the city of owls!

Photo: Leggerezza/Lightness. Chiara Cavallo.

What did you like in the exhibition concept of Initiation 2017 at Sieraad Amsterdam (9-12 November 2017); first step: #1 come to Athens/ #2 discover a rich and oecumenical culture #3 get inspired by it #4 go home and prepare your work #5 participate in Sieraad?

I like this concept very much, because it is a combination of both traditional and contemporary approaches. I like to travel and get inspiration from different enviroments and people; that’s why I liked my stay in Athens: I got the opportunity to know different people and the habits of Athenians, I visited urban sites and saw art venues guided by contemporary artists with a broader view on various topics.

What was the mot unexpected experience you made in Athens?

I have met many people from abroad and this was unexpected, such as finding new friends! I think Athens has a strong hidden energy that came out during Documenta 14. I think it was a courageous initiative to open new art venues into the city and even if I’ve got the feeling that more people didn’t agree to it, this event have put Athens under another perspective: wider and deeper.

What you did not like?

Nothing at all.

What can Athens give to a young jewellery designer?

The city of Athens has a lot to give to jewelry artists, younger and older. I think the huge culture itself is a rich opportunity for visitors and students. Even if the reality that Athenians are living now regarding politics and administration is not easy for them, I think that living in a nice ‘soap bubble’ instead doesn’t raise any question nor give any impetus to discover new approaches.

What was your favorite object of art/design/architecture you saw in Athens?

This was the little statue of a woman hugging her child in the collection of the National Archaeological Museum. I really liked to visit the studios of students at work at the Athens School of Fine Arts. I found this encounter very strong, interesting and full of energy. They were working on Sunday.

I also liked the controversial modern buildings and the neighborhoods surrounding the city. Athens urban network is full of stratifications, different approaches to the concept of living and  is rich in cultural customs and habits that mirror the poly-hedrical features of the city.

Give us a word/idea/sentence that you take with you from Athens.

Make a wish, make a knot!

Will you come back?

Yes, for sure!!

 

Chiara Cavallo: “Vertical Transitions”. A Jewellery Flaneur through Athens.

Photo credit: Chiara Cavallo and Christoph Ziegler (Athens).

Chiara Cavallo: Vertical Transitions. Solo show at Cine Trianon, Kodriktonos 21, Athens. 8-11 June 2017. Opening: 8 June at 8.30 p.m.

According to Wikipedia, the earliest human presence in the city of Athens starts somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC.

The myth of king Kekrop, half human and half dragon, born by the virgin goddess Athena through a “surrogate mother” – Gaia (Earth) – attests that divine forces have always taken care of the city. The mythical struggle between Poseidon and Athena for the patronage of the city proves changes in religious cults and probably new clans gaining power in politics appr. 4.000 years ago. The Panathenea procession around August 15 was not just a religious celebration, but also a great allegory on the connection of textile to mortality, democracy and freedom.

Chiara Cavallo is not unknown to Athens. Her rich biography includes shows and curatorial work at the city of Pallas – one of the myriad of names attributed to Athena, the patron and name giver of the capital of modern Greece.

Athena — some interpret her name as making allusion to A-ta’-na, a female goddess worshipped in the East, others – such as Plato – tell us that it means: Theou noos: The thoughts of God; for Athena is born out of Zeus’ head.  In Christian terms, Athena could be understood as Agia Sophia – The holy wisdom of God or even The Virgin, because the Greek Madonna, the most worshipped deity in the Orthodox pantheon, took over the myriad names that were used to address her female predecedor.

Chiara Cavallo comes to Athens with a project combining jewellery to urban and cultural development. It is hard to miss the traces of Archaic, Classical, Roman, Byzantine, Osmanic, Bavarian, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Modernism periods if you look carefully at the city. Chiara will incorporate these traces into her jewellery. The mobile art medium will thus become a moving archive of the city development but also, through the choices of the wearer, a compass to the future.

It is also hard to miss in Chiara’s project the charming allusion made to the Flaneur tradition, a literary genre that flourished in Germany and Central Europe in the 20th century and refers to the rediscovery of the city by its walking “hommes (et femmes) de lettres“.

“The city of Athens is a stratification of habits and populations which have left traces on the local culture and have impressed the morphology of the city.
I investigate how the city have changed throught the inteventions and how it keeps its origins without losing its authenticity“, Chiara says.

“The work I developed is a result of manipulations on materials to change the appearance of the material itself. The viewer can still recognise the traces of my process’ actions. The jewelry become a container of meanings where all the variations are considered added values to the original object”

We are welcoming Chiara Cavallo as our seventh Artist In Residence/One Artist A Week at Cine Trianon Athens. We started the project as a creative response to U.S. artist Rick Lowe’s call for submissions to develop even further his Athens Documenta 14 urban project “Victoria Square” aka “Social sculpture”.

Instituto Italiano di Cultura, the Cultural Bureau of the Embassy of Italy in Greece, is a Communication Supporter of the show.

Chiara Cavallo also participates in our “Initiation” team for Sieraad Jewellery Art Fair Amsterdam, 9-12 November 2017.

If you are interested in our Artist In Residence Programme/Athens 2018 or our “Initiation/Munich Jewellery Week 2018” project, please contact us: loukiarichards@gmx.de

LINKS:

http://www.chiarajewels.com

http://www.cinetrianon.gr

http://www.leaveyourcrisis.com

http://www.initiation2017.com

www-zlr-betriebsimperium.tk

„Vertical Transitions“. Η εξέλιξη του οικιστικoύ ιστού της Αθήνας με οδηγό το κόσμημα: Από τον Μύθο έως τις μέρες μας.

Chiara Cavallo: Vertical Transitions. 8-11.6.2017. Cine Trianon, Κοδριγκτώνος 21 στο ύψος της Πατησίων. Η ατομική έκθεση πραγματοποιείται με την επικοινωνιακή υποστήριξη του Ιταλικού Μορφωτικού Ινστιτούτου Αθηνών (Γραφείο Πολιτισμού της πρεσβείας της Ιταλίας στην Ελλάδα).Με την επικοινωνιακή υποστήριξη του Ιταλικού Μορφωτικού Ινστιτούτου Αθηνών

Εχει ενδιαφέρον για το σύγχρονο Αθηναίο ο τρόπος με τον οποίο η κάτοικος μίας πανάρχαιας πόλης, της Ρώμης, βλέπει τις πέντε χιλιετίες ύπαρξης της πόλης της Αθήνας ως μία ολότητα εν εξελίξει και μεταγλωττίζει τις παρατηρήσεις της σε ένα εικαστικό μέσο – φορέσιμο και κινητό – όπως το κόσμημα.
Φορώντας το, η Κιάρα Καβάλο (Chiara Cavalo) γεννημένη στην πόλη που συνέδεσε στενά την ιστορική και πολιτιστική της μοίρα με την Αθήνα, περιπλάται στα ίχνη του μύθου, της απαρχής του πολιτισμού και της εξέλιξης του οικιστικού ιστού της τρίτης πρωτεύουσας του σύγχρονου ελληνικού κράτους.

Την κεντροευρωπαϊκή λογοτεχνική παράδοση των φλανέρ (flaneur) του 20ου αιώνα – των περιηγητών των μητροπόλεων – ανασύρει επίσης από την μνήμη μας η Ιταλίδα εικαστικός κι επιμελήτρια που έρχεται στην Αθήνα φιλοξενούμενη του προγράμματος Artist In Residence του ιστορικού κινηματογράφου της Πατησίων Τριανόν και παρουσιάζει την ατομική της έκθεση „Vertical Transitions“ (Κάθετες μεταβάσεις) στο φουαγιέ του.

Ιχνη, μοτίβα και δοξασίες – προϊστορικά, γεωμετρικά, αρχαϊκά, κλασσικά, ρωμαϊκά, βυζαντινά, αρβανίτικα, φράγκικα, οθωμανικά, βαυαρικά και πόσα άλλα – δεν θα δυσκολευτεί να βρει ο παρατηρητικός επισκέπτης στη σύγχρονη μεγαλούπολη. „Η πόλη της Αθήνας είναι μία διαστρωμάτωση συνηθειών και πληθυσμών που άφησαν ίχνη κι επέδρασαν καταλυτικά πάνω στη μορφολογία της πόλης“, λέει η Καβάλο.

Το ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρον στοιχείο στη δουλειά της Καβάλο είναι ότι επιλέγει να ενσωματώσει τις παρατηρήσεις της σε ένα μέσο που κινείται: Το κόσμημα (μαζί με το σώμα αυτού που το φορά) αποτελεί ταυτόχρονα αρχειακό υλικό και πυξίδα προς το μέλλον. Ο τρόπος κατασκευής του μέσω τεχνικών κοπής λαίηζερ αναπαριστά τη διαστρωμάτωση.
„Ο θεατής μπορεί να αναγνωρίσει τα ίχνη της διαδικασίας που ακολουθώ, Το κόσμημα μετατρέπεται σε ένα υποδοχέα νοημάτων, όπου όλες οι μεταβολές πάνω του δίνουν προστιθέμενη αξία στο αρχικό αντικέιμενο“, προσθέτει.

Η Καβάλο είναι η έβδομη „Artist In Residence“ που φιλοξενείται στο Τριανόν από την αρχή του έτους. Ο διατηρητέος κινηματογράφος ανταποκρίθηκε στο κάλεσμα του Αμερικανού εικαστικού Rick Lowe προς φορείς και κατοίκους της περιοχής, να συμμετάσχουν στο εν εξελίξει έργο του “Victoria Square Project” για τη Athens Dokumenta 14. Τις εκθέσεις των φιλοξενούμενων εικαστικών επιμελούνται οι ZLR Betriebsimperium Hamburg (Christoph Ziegler + Loukia Richards).

Η Κιάρα Καβάλο σπούδασε design και κόσμημα στην Ιταλία και την Αγγλία και υπήρξε – μεταξύ άλλων – μαθήτρια του περίφημου Ruudt Peters στην Alchimia: Contemporary Jewellery School της Φλωρεντίας. Εχει παρουσιάσει τη δουλειά της σε εκθέσεις στην Ιταλία, την Ισπανία, την Ολλανδία, τη Ρουμανία, την Ελλάδα, ενώ εργάζεται και ως επιμελήτρια.

Η έκθεση „Vertical Transitions“ εγκαινιάζεται την Πέμπτη 8 Ιουνίου Μαϊου στις 8.30 μμ. 
Είσοδος ελεύθερη.

Τηλέφωνο επικοινωνίας: 210 82 15 469
e-mail: myths2015@zoho.com

LINKS:

http://www.cinetrianon.gr
http://www.chiarajewels.com
http://www.zlr-betriebsimperium.tk
Facebook: Mythen/Myths
Twitter: @LoukiaRichards

 

What makes SCHMUCKWOCHE MÜNCHEN so special?

Photo: “Shopping mall” at Galerie der Künstler, Munich. Credit: Christoph Ziegler.

Here is a list of reasons.

1. You meet old friends. You make new friends. You meet so many people with the same passion: Jewellery. You get feedback.
2. MJW has a strickt structure AND gives you a lot of freedom to improvise or add your own contribution. That makes a great mixture!
3. Innovation is written on Bavarian culture + business sector DNA. This is the city to see, meet, follow avant garde art.
4. MJW feels like a 4 days long urban party. You get high and there is no side effects or a day after!
5. You mentor for free, you get mentored for free (always ask questions!).
6. You meet jewellery art’s “legendary monsters” (and they do not bite!).
7. You exchange/trade/swap insider information.
8. You brainstorm for hours over a glas of beer planning new ventures, discussing new impulses, forging new alliances.
9. You get so many offers and tips to develop your business or enter new territories.
10.  Munich is one of the major art cities of Europe: Alte Pinakothek, Villa Stuck, Pinakothek der Moderne, Glyptothek – just to mention a few addresses of world class significance. It is the ideal environment for artists, art critics, art dealers and art lovers.

SCHMUCK, Munich Jewellery Week and Business Week, Munich Creative Business Week: there are various facets of the big March event for the city of Munich. Behind the above mentioned institutions you find long term passion, planning, expertise, commitment and vision. There are many “art or jewellery weeks” around the world, but it is not the same. However their organizers can certainly profit from the experience of MJW; never forget: Rome was not build in a day!

After Myths 2015 and Test Drive 2016, Initiation 2017 was our third participation in MJW. We will be back with a new project next year, for we hate standardisation and would be bored to death if we had to repeat the same patterns of success!

LINKS:

http://www.initiation2017.com

http://www.testdrive2016.tk

http://www.myths2015.de

http://www.zlr-betriebsimperium.tk

Marietta Karamaria: Artemis means the Avenger

Photo credit: Panagiotis Skouloukas

A hunter shoots deer in a state protected reserve and his co-villagers protect him with “omerta“.

Who-dunn-it? Nobody knows…

The deer, Artemis’ sacred animal, a totemic relic from the pre-Olympian period, ignites Marietta Karamaria’s protest through a new jewellery series named: “Averting Artemis”.

“Devoted and caring as the goddess Artemis, I try to protest for all the burned forests and murdered deer in my island, by transforming my work to a means of raising my voice to defend their rights.
In my new series, I reflect upon a young “Punk Artemis” who fights for her environment and use mostly natural materials and edgy forms to create strong statements through my jewellery”.

The hubris committed is always followed by the nemesis.

http://www.initiation2017.com

Christoph Ziegler: “Today’s trash is tomorrow’s gold.”

Photo: Square Brooch. 2017.

Christoph Ziegler’s „Broom Brooches“ are wearable collages made of plastic pieces and household objects the artist collects at the beach or purchases at gipsy „trash“ markets in Greece. Ziegler’s colorful concentric objects make allusions to the shine and glamour of precious jewellery and make fun of the various genres of popular culture such as Punk, Pop, Comic and Sci-Fi.

http://www.initiation2017.com

ONE artist wanted for solo show @ Athens Dokumenta 14 OFFICIAL venue: for the week of 29.5-4.6.2017. Apply NOW!

FaveLAB, a laboratory for contemporary art in Athens, hosts a series of related activities (shows, lectures, workshops, artist dinners etc.) to promote the concept of living, working, sharing, networking and reshaping urban development and creative synergies for established and emerging artists.

 

We are:

A team of Germany based international artists working on the Athens project in cooperation with foreign and Greek institutions.

We are looking for:
International participants working in the fields of applied arts (jewellery, ceramics, paper, textile, fashion, book making, food etc.), installation, video and performance.

Duration of the FaveLAB programme:
The programme applies for the period: June – mid July 2017 — during the “Athens Dokumenta 14” highlights.

as well as during the

Post-Dokumenta period starting September 2017.

Participation fee:
380,00 euro for one week (Monday to Sunday). The fee covers residence cost, material and curatorial advice plus networking/PR and includes:

Living and working space in down town Athens (7 days/6 nights)/ Four days curated solo show at the lobby of Cine Trianon, a theater under monument protection in down town Athens and an OFFICIAL venue of Dokumenta 14 Athens. “Cine Trianon” participates with “Artist In Residence/One Artist A Week” in the project “Victoria Square” by US artist Rick Lowe for Dokumenta 14 Athens. All participating artists will be included in the documentation of “Victoria Square”/ Promotional and PR support by a group of art professionals, journalists and networkers/ Customized introduction into ancient and contemporary Greek culture.

Artists who wish to stay longer, we offer a live in+work studio in Athens or the Peloponnese for a per week/month fee (prices vary in winter/summer time).

How to apply:

Send a short bio (80-100 words), a work/show proposal (50 words), 6 – 8 pictures of your work or website, a short statement of what you wish to do in FaveLAB Athens (50 words) and the dates of the week in question to loukiarichards@gmx.de