AUTOR 2018 comes with a fresh and inspiring assortment of novelties. For starters, we have a new jury member, Felix Flury, artist, academic and director of the highly selective Gallery S O. He brings a wealth of experience and deep artistic perspectives to the selection for AUTOR 2018. We asked him to share with us some thoughts on his work in contemporary jewelry and here is what we found out.
Dan Pierșinaru: Let’s dive straight into the topic with an obvious but very important question: what is contemporary / art jewelry for you?
Felix Flury: Traditional jewelry relies more on history, tradition and heritage, while I think contemporary jewelry should include some sort of subversive message and question anew its own status and values.
Dan Pierșinaru: You have created a beacon on the international art jewelry scene with Gallery S O and the artists in your portfolio. What are the most important features you look for when you make your selection?
Felix Flury: The personal and working relationship with the artists I show at the gallery grew organically. When selecting work I value originality and the expression of a clear distinct artistic orientation.
Dan Pierșinaru: Apart from managing the gallery, you have a background as a gold and silversmith and a teacher, definitely an artist but also an academic. With this unique combination of perspectives, what are three steps that you would recommend to a contemporary jewelry artist who is just starting his career?
Felix Flury: Work with your origins, with what you know best, your background. Keep your work open to different interpretations.
Dan Pierșinaru: London has such a vibrant and diverse artistic life and making it and keeping your place at the top there in any area has its challenges. What are yours with Gallery S O?
Felix Flury: I’m just going to keep showing work which I consider of quality, and taking extra care when it comes to displaying it. The competition for attention in London is immense but with time I hope that the consistency of our program will show. We don’t follow trends but aim to provide a platform to an unique artistic vision for jewelry, objects and more.
Dan Pierșinaru: Last but not least, what keeps you motivated to promote art jewelry?
Felix Flury: Throughout my career I always believed in the importance of looking at things from different angles and jewelry is a nice vehicle for mirroring ourselves, isn’t it?
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Join us on 5-6 May 2018 in Bucharest for AUTOR 2018 to see what our jury selected from the hundreds of applications we received!
