The digital realm is endlessly generative but what value is there when there is nothing to hold?

Jewels are inherently tactile, but they have physical and material constraints. Digital creation is as diverse and ephemeral as an Instagram filter or a chat-bot prompt. What happens when digital innovation merges with traditional craftsmanship?

It's hard to believe a purely digital world will be the future. While digital fashion, NFTs, the Metaverse and AI tools give artists a playground to morph and create, it is hard to replace the tactility of coveting cherished objects. Imagine a world where jewelry embodies AND transcends its physicality, embracing augmented realities and boundless possibilities.

Is jewelry designed by an AI imbued with the essence of authenticity? Can a QR code on your finger be jewelry? What adornment is revealed when you scan it in AR? What happens when the lights go out and you touch it to feel the raised Braille that says “I am a gold ring”? Ah, what then?

Please join us for the Opening Reception Friday Nov 10th 5-7pm at Five Ways.

The exhibition is open through November 18th.
The OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival focuses on jewellery-related exhibitions, lectures, workshops and open studios—in a programme put together by Current Obsession. OBSESSED! runs 1—30 November in various cities across the Netherlands and Belgium, accompanied by a free edition of Current Obsession Paper.