Silver Triennial International. 19th worldwide competition

Date: 
Sunday, 27. October 2019 - 0:00 to Thursday, 9. January 2020 - 0:00
Juliane Schölß. Tablett mit Gefäßen. 925/000 Silber, teilweise vergoldet, teilweise geschwärzt. Tablett: Edelstahl. 2017. Foto Eva Jünger


The show features selected competition works at the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau; the exhibition impressively reflects current trends on the silver scene. Silverware, jugs, candlesticks, dishes, or freely designed objects demonstrate the attractive possibilities of artistic metalworking. A specialist jury—Maike Dahl, Simone ten Hompel, and Dr. Sabine Runde—selected the most interesting objects from among the one hundred and twenty-three entries from nineteen nations. A total of ninety-three entries were invited to participate in the exhibition.

The generous support of sponsors—master goldsmith Ebbe Weiss-Weingart, Salem; Lions Club Hanau; Robbe & Berking, Flensburg, and Heimerle + Meule, Pforzheim—kindly permitted the handover of seven awards worth 19,500 Euro for the main competition and the youth prizes.

Juliane Schölß, Nuremberg, received the Ebbe Weiss-Weingart Award for a group of vessels with tray. On it she places cups, goblets, and small dishes to form a stage-like arrangement. The differently-sized objects are worked in various metallic colors, making it a pleasure to show them off in ever-new configurations.

The Robbe & Berking Award went to the Korean Sungho Cho, Seoul. His works captivate through their innovative use of the lost-wax technique. Individually designed decorative wax strips are cast into sheets and subsequently included in his vessels’ design. For her vases Sarah Cossham, Munich, received the Ebbe Weiss-Weingart Silver Award. She creates an unmistakable aesthetic using the unusual combination of oxidized silver, brass, rubies, and sapphires. Playful dealing with material, form, and technique lends her vessels a charming “unperfection”. The 1st Lions Club Hanau Youth Prize went to Jerome Funk, Freigericht. His dish convinced the jury on account of its unusual surface effect in terms of structure and color. The technical procedure of manufacturing and handling the material can be impressively retraced on the object. Philipp Gröninger, Bendorf, was distinguished with the 2nd Lions Club Hanau Youth Prize for his coffee pot. Exhibiting clean lines, a classic design object that is normally executed in everyday materials is realized in silver and wood. Even under the use of valuable material he has succeed in designing an object suited to everyday utilization. The 3rd Lions Club Hanau Youth Prize travels to the United Kingdom to Naama Haneman, London. The prizewinning cup carries conviction due to its corporeal appearance, and it awakens emotions via its tactility. A utility object with an appealing surface that makes it very easy to explore haptically. The Heimerle + Meule Silver Award had Daphne Spiegel, Sulzthal, in mind. With its formally consistent execution, her dish is impressive. Interpretation of technique is an integral part of its design. The manufacture of the dish’s shape and the resulting tension in the material dictates the alignment of the sawn ornaments.

Many of the submitted works go beyond the spectrum of classic tableware and exhibit new methods of metal design. Besides outstanding intuition for contemporary forms and imaginative creations, the silver objects captivate due to confident, masterful processing and the refined application of both traditional and new techniques. In a host of the objects, surface design in particular plays an important role. Delicate structure or powerful relief place beholders in awe of the diversity of metalworking’s possibilities.

An accompanying publication (DE/EN) has been enabled through the kind support of MTV Förster, Hanau, C. HAFNER, Pforzheim, Mannheimer Versicherung, Robbe & Berking, Flensburg, Stadt Hanau, Stadtwerke Hanau, and Stiftung der Sparkasse Hanau. It is out at ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers, Stuttgart, at a price of €28.00 (special price at the Goldschmiedehaus €25.00). The works by all of the artists represented in the exhibition are depicted alongside accompanying texts.

Following on from the presentation at the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, from 10.27.2019 through 01.09.2020, the pieces will set off on a touring exhibition. Further stops are: DIVA Museum voor Edelsmeedkunst, Juwelen en Diamant, Antwerp (B) 01.23.–04.19.2020; Silberwarenmuseum Ott-Pausersche Fabrik, Schwäbisch Gmünd 04.26.–07.12.2020; Wasserschloss Klaffenbach, Chemnitz 08.01.–10.25.2020.