Cominelli Foundation Award 2010

IRIS BODEMER
-Somebody asked Debussy how he wrote music. He said: I take all the tones there are, leave out the ones I don´t want. And use all the others. ( from John Cage Silence )
By grouping the most recent works together under the title "Ingredienzen" (Ingredients), Iris Bodemer pursues a topic that has been adumbrated in earlier groups of works time and again and now is becoming the central theme: the interplay between the different types of material, the combination of the ingredients which may subsequently merge and form a conglomerate, an entity. It requires a great deal of experience in handling and experimenting with the most diverse materials to capture and deploy the subtle nuances, the balance and the deliberate imbalance in the effects created by each type of material. There are stronger and weaker materials some of which immediately release emotions and some of which come to be perceived as smooth and harmless. Some of them seem to be infinitely heavy while others evoke pure lightness. Gold foil can either appear noble and precious or, if used differently, resemble crumpled up aluminum foil while a household foil may as well convey a spirit of equanimity that is not affected by time and change. In Iris Bodemer's works, pearls, gold, gemstones, wood, branches of corals, finds, pieces of fur and many other ingredients show their peculiarities and particularities. They are identical with themselves and, at the same time, they are part of the overall design and of the structure developed by the artist. This creates a tension similar to the dense and concentrated effect evoked by the combination of drawing and jewelry. It is the whole set of ingredients that provides the added value, without any one of them getting lost. Each element can be distinctly identified but it is only in their togetherness that they are more than each of them alone.
Cornelie Holzach 2008 ( copyright )

FABRIZIO TRIDENTI
I construct my jewels taking inspiration from waste produced by contemporary society, and using the original casualness of bunches of materials ready for recycling.
Specifically, I often use industrial waste material, recycling items, and industrial paint.
I re-propose them in jewels through an analysis of chaotic structures, which may have an aesthetic function, but – at the same time – involve us in architectural chaos, where we cannot understand whether there is a construction or de-construction action of the object.
My intention is to isolate an interesting shape out of this chaos.
I am more attracted by casualness of events than by determining them, because in project design and development the surprise element is lost, whereas it exists in identifying and reproducing a casual combination.
So the purpose is to lose the idea of shape.
I am more interested in the energy produced by chaos than in an exposure action; so waste and disorder are seen as something extremely vibrating and expressive, an intense extract of our reality.

ARATA FUCHI :
Beauty as a whole created by nature, not the artificial world. Intentional shape that the rule unites with irregularity and it consists. It becomes one beautiful shape for a small point to accumulate, to connect, to become a line, to become face, and to show various expressions.

BEATE EISMANN :
The brooches were made in 2008 and 2009. They consist of handmade paper where metal particles and precious stones were worked into. In some cases, the paper was coloured and some of the pieces are provided with embroidery.
These brooches were inspired by images of a special 3D simulation opportunity of CNC controlled milling machines which focuses on the procedural paths of tools in the production phase. The simulation programme reflects the movements and paths of the tools in multiple colours, and it draws the manufacturing process of the work piece and records it. By such graphical portraying of the tool’s procedural paths, it is possible to experience time through lines, colours and shapes. Accordingly, additional dimensions can be derived from the matter. This immaterial information became a source of inspiration for my jewellery.

SILKE TREKEL :
In her work she focuses on themes, which circle around structures, architecture and in the broadest sense principles of order. Silke Trekel's vocabulary of form is concentrated essentially in the use of such basic forms as circles and squares, and in a coming to terms with the idea of "ornament as a principle".


In the extraordinary setting of Lake Garda with its colours and lights, among the moraine hills that stretch from the Gulf of Salò and the Gulf of Manerba, at Cisano di San Felice we find the Fondazione Cominelli.

The splendid building, built in the XVII century by the Cominelli family, overlooks the Gulf of Salò, houses the Foundation.
The Fondazione Cominelli, in carrying out its cultural activities has now come up with an articulated project where it becomes a reference point for the applied arts, not only for exhibitions, but also as a place where applied art “is done”; it does this by organising workshops and conferences on the subject; of this complex panorama it has chosen to present and delve into some sectors only: photography, ceramics and jewellery.

The Fondazione Cominelli is sided by agc which organises and promotes the event. Agc has already promoted other projects on the national territory.
Agc, Associazione Gioiello Contemporaneo (Contemporary Jewellery Association) founded in June 2004, has, among its statutory objectives, that of drawing attention to the value of the contemporary jewellery culture and spreading it.
Contemporary jewellery today represents a sector of advanced research and experimentation of new expressive languages as well as exploiting the personal ornament concept.
In close contact with the international community, the association follows up a series of initiatives aimed at promoting a constructive and synergistic confrontation with other artistic and productive realities. 

Here, for the first time, the “Premio Fondazione Cominelli” will be founded, this year referred to an international award for jewellery artists and designers and next year to the gold and jewellery areas of the Art Institutes and schools of contemporary jewellery.
The first prize will be awarded to one of the participants selected for the “Premio Fondazione Cominelli” exhibition on contemporaneity in the jewellery research world. 

Within this project it is important to point out the Foundation’s intention to set up a permanent collection of contemporary jewellery, following the events that will be organised there. 


Registration and participation

The competition is open to all Italian and foreign artists
Registration for selection must be done by, and not later than, the 30st April 2010, and is subject to applications being sent to: rosa.art@alice.it 

Target :
The exhibition was conceived as an opportunity for goldsmith artists and designers to show their work and contribute to further spreading the knowledge of contemporary jewellery. There is no set limit to the materials they use, the measurements must not, however, exceed 15x15 cm and diameter 25 cm max.

The material must be sent not later than the 31st May 2010
This material will consist in a CD with N°5 to 8 high resolution digital images of the artist’s own work produced in the last two years, and a brief description of the concept of own work and an updated curriculum vitae, all in Italian and English.
For foreign participants: only in the English language.

In this specific case the pictures must have the following characteristics:
Resolution: 300 dpi (minimum).
Format: .tif o jpg.
Dimensions: smallest side = 15 cm.
Captions: year produced, materials used, title.
The TEXTS IN WORD FILES, NOT IN PDF

The material must be posted to:
- Graziano Visintin c/o Istituto Pietro Selvatico, Largo Meneghetti 1 - 35121 Padova - ITALY
- The material must also contain: surname and name of artist, place and date of birth, phone, fax, e-mail address, website/blog.
- Quality, innovation and artistic research will be fundamental selection criteria.
- The information and material sent with the application for participating in the selection will not be returned, but will become part of the agc records.
- The agc reserves the right to publish texts and images with different means and/or supports, for document and promote the exhibition and the participants.

- Selection by Graziano Visintin will be held by the 10th June 2010 .

- The participants will be informed of the outcome of the selection via email by the 20th June 2010,
- on that same date, the participation modalities will also be communicated, the number of pieces to exhibit, date of shipment, etc..

- the deadline for handing in the material for printing the catalogue: 10th July 2010.

By the 20th July 2010 the participants selected will pay the agc a fee of € 100.00 (one hundred Euros) as a contribution to towards the catalogue and organisational expenses. Each participant will receive ten (10) catalogues of the exhibition. 

The Jury:
Will be composed of important figures in the world of contemporary jewellery. 

The Award:
The first prize will be assigned to the artist who merits it most, and the second prize to the artist with the most innovative technique.
First Prize € 3000,00
Second Prize Laptop PC


The Inauguration of the exhibition: 11th September.

Exhibition: 12th September 2010 – 3rd October 2010.

Activities

On the opening day, at 18 the art dealer and curator of national and international exhibitions, Graziella Folchini Grassetto will hold a conference with video projections, entitled “The Contemporary Jewel”. Following this, the award ceremony will take place and the exhibition will be inaugurated.
Goldsmiths master Giancarlo Montebello and Alba Lisca Polenghi have been invited to exhibit their some of their works. 

The opening of Palazzo Cominelli during the events is guaranteed in the following days: 
Friday and Saturday from 17 till 22; on Sunday from 10 to 12 and from 17 to 22.
Special openings must be agreed with the organizers.

Concept and organization:
Rosanna Padrini Dolcini – Rosella Tornquist - Maria Rosa Franzin
Opening Saturday, September 11th at 19.


Palazzo Cominelli
Via Padre F. Santabona, 9 - San Felice del Benaco (BS)
Venerdi, sabato e domenica dalle ore 17 alle 21 


THE FOLLOWING PERSONALITIES WERE PRESENT AT THE OPENING :

The gallerist Graziella Folchini Grassetto - Studio GR20 Padova - Has curated international exhibitions in the field of contemporary jewellery. Has curated and written books and catalogues among which “ La Scuola Di Padova”.
The contemporary art gallerist Annamaria Carrain from Padova.
The gallerist Isabella Hund from Munich.
The gallerist Rita Marcangelo from Rome.
The art historian Maria Cristina Bergesio who has curated, among others, the exhibitions Lucca Preziosa and Firenze Preziosa. Has contributed with texts to personal catalogues of contemporary jewellery artists and co-curated “Dizionario del Gioiello Contemporaneo”.

Artists present at the opening:
Giancarlo Montebello
Alba Lisca
From Sweden Karin Roy Andersson
From Scotland Judy Mc Caig
From Japan Makoto Hieda and Eiko Nakahara
From Paris Flavia Fenaroli
From Rome Adrean Bloomard
Eugenia Ingegno
From Cremona Patrizia Bonati
From Bolzano Gabi Veit

And personalities of the Art world among which the artist Piera Crovetti, who had presented her ceramics in the previous exhibition, the photographer Giorgio Colombo, the photographer Giusi Toninelli and the artist Sonia Costantini.