SEOUL, May 28 (Korea Bizwire) – From May 28 to July 28, the Seoul Craft Museum will host “Beyond Ornament: Utterance,” a significant contemporary jewelry exchange exhibition between South Korea and Austria, announced on May 27.
Marking the first major artistic jewelry exchange since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1892, the exhibition will showcase 675 works by 111 Korean and Austrian artists and teams. The aim is to shift the perception of jewelry from a symbol of power and desire to a form of contemporary artistic expression.
The exhibition explores modern jewelry as a new visual language through material and form experimentation. It highlights contemporary jewelry’s potential as an alternative medium for communication and artistic expression. Curators from both countries collaborated extensively, with the exhibition funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Civil Service and Sports, and the Austrian Cultural Forum.
The exhibition is divided into three parts:
Jewelry Avant-Garde: This section covers the history of contemporary jewelry starting in the 1970s in Korea and Austria, featuring 143 works by 31 artists, allowing visitors to appreciate the pioneering artists from both nations.
Contemporary Jewelry Today: Showcasing works produced since the 2000s, this section addresses themes of “body,” “nature,” and “narrative” through a structure that maintains the distinct languages of both countries.
Contemporary Jewelry Tomorrow: This part examines new production methods and attitudes of contemporary jewelry artists, combining traditional techniques with emerging technologies, and exploring future directions for the craft in both countries.
The exhibition includes a Matching Jewelry Corner, an interactive program that scans visitors’ clothing, analyzes the colors, and matches them with complementary jewelry pieces, providing a multidimensional experience.
Additionally, an artist talk program will be held on May 30 with participating Korean and Austrian artists. Guided tours by the exhibition’s curators will take place on the first Friday of each month during Seoul Culture Night.
Kim Soo-jung, director of the Seoul Craft Museum, expressed hope that the exhibition will provide both domestic and international visitors with a new perspective on contemporary jewelry as an art form. She also expects it to expand the activities of contemporary jewelry artists from both countries and enhance cultural and artistic exchanges between Korea and Austria.
