Dan Pierșinaru about AUTOR Fair 2016

For many years now, his name is associated with the design world, photography, and especially, jewelry. When you say Dan Pierșinaru, you say AUTOR, a dynamic platform promoting contemporary design and designers. Life.ro team wanted to find out more about the atmosphere at the last edition of AUTOR Fair, so here is what Dan had to say.

◇ You have been organising contemporary jewelry fairs for a while and you are also a curator in the field. What does contemporary jewelry mean to you? What brought you closer to this field?

To me, contemporary jewelry is a way of artistic expression, but one where the body becomes both a pedestal and a vehicle. Emotionally, it has great value. Author jewelry is strongly related to the world of concepts and ideas. You could choose to wear this kind of jewelry because it resonates with something intimate within you and, so, it becomes an extension to your ideas and personality. The context is what brought me in this universe of contemporary jewelry, and I owe this to Mihaela Tărhuna who, in 1998, asked me to help her with her first jewelry exhibition, in Timișoara.

◇ AUTOR 2016 had as an overarching symbol the ‘Fword(s)’. Why did you choose this thematic and why did you choose ‘Freedom’ as a keyword?

The ‘guilty’ ones for the #theFwordedition are Elena Bululete and Andreea Drăguț. We figured out that the designers we are working with are generally assuming a kind of freedom, out of the ordinary. I believe that the freedom of doing what you feel, especially when creating, is essential. Thus, our #Freedom.

◇ On another note, what is YOUR personal F word? What F words define you in the activities you undergo?

First place goes to Frumos (Beautiful). I would like to see that everything surrounding us is beautiful and harmonious. It’s up to us. Other F words that come to my mind: Făurar (blacksmith), Fluid, Fascinating.

◇ AUTOR is already a renowned event in the artistic and cultural Romanian scene, where does this Fair situate at the international level? How do international designers come to exhibit at AUTOR?

AUTOR is gradually growing at the international level. This year, the selection and participation of international designers were the highest of all international editions, starting in 2013. Nonetheless, you cannot control this thing. In our case, the growth is organic, based on the participants’ experience at and thoughts of AUTOR. They carry the message forward, in various ways, and this is automatically reflected in the following editions. Other factors that help us grow are the printed Autor Magazine and the social media platforms, especially Instagram.

◇ Moving to international fairs and contemporary jewelry schools, how did you connect with them? Can we talk about a community in this field?

I’d say that the relationships are spontaneous, and karma does most of the work. What I wanted for AUTOR was to set up some substantial links with people and institutions that think alike. The first important link was the one to Joya Barcelona. Then, Alchimia school of contemporary jewelry, then Assamblage School in Bucharest, and the recent partnership with Molecule F. Without a community we wouldn’t be able to talk about a phenomenon, and now, contemporary jewelry is a continuously growing phenomenon, both locally and internationally. A solid community is the key to success in a field like this. I have always vowed for synergy between people and guilds, and I will keep doing it. In my case, I love people, and this helps me with everything I do. We are all interconnected, and if you believe that separation is something you wish for, it is possible to lose many aspects of this life.

◇ What are the trends this year regarding contemporary jewelry – both in Romania and internationally?

There is only one trend in author jewelry: the personal filter. This jewelry is always in trend, it differentiates you from the others.

◇ Is author jewelry rated in the same manner as any other work signed by an artist?

Yes! This even happens internationally. There is a system within contemporary jewelry exhibitions, and big museum already have and are constantly enlarging their author jewelry collections. Author jewelry wears the signature of the artist and its value may increase with time, as well as the position of the person who created it. Just like with art.

◇ How did you find the 2016 edition of Autor Fair?

This edition was a whole lot of: good vibes, beautiful people, gorgeous jewelry, good weather and a great location. The magic formula, it seems.

◇ What’s next for AUTOR? What are your future plans and wildest dreams that you have for the contemporary jewelry fair?

What is always next for AUTOR is finding and ensuring the next hosting location. For us, this is the big challenge. Once the location is established, we can only do what we do best. In the future, the plan is that AUTOR broadens its international audience, opens a gallery in Bucharest and reaches as many people as possible with our message: contemporary jewelry exists.

Interview by Stela Nadoleanu, first published on Life.ro.