Tracing Origins: Mapping Local Histories of Contemporary Jewelry

A Panel Discussion moderated by Anna Wójcik-Korbas

 
 

Tracing Origins: Mapping Local Histories of Contemporary Jewelry

1 OCTOBER 2026
LOCATION: NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ROMANIA, BUCHAREST
TIME: TO BE ANNOUNCED
ADMISSION: FREE

Tracing Origins: Mapping Local Histories of Contemporary Jewelry is a moderated panel discussion bringing together perspectives on the local histories, experiences, and events that have shaped the development of contemporary jewelry in different countries.

Contemporary jewelry has developed across a wide range of artistic environments and cultural contexts. In different countries, its development has been shaped by specific social, political, educational, and cultural conditions, giving rise to distinctive artistic approaches, styles, practices, communities, materials, and techniques. Many of these local histories remain relatively little known beyond their national or regional contexts, despite having played an important role in shaping contemporary jewelry in their respective countries.

In recent years, art history and the humanities have increasingly emphasised the need to complement established narratives with local perspectives, lesser-known centres, and multidirectional exchanges of ideas. Tracing Origins follows this approach, encouraging a view of the history of contemporary jewelry as a network of parallel experiences rather than a single linear narrative.

The aim of the event is to bring together multiple perspectives and initiate a discussion on how historical, social, political, educational, and cultural conditions influenced the development of contemporary jewelry and whether traces of these processes are still visible in contemporary artistic practice. Romanian Jewelry Week provides a unique setting for such a discussion, bringing together artists from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.

Panel Format

The panel speakers have been selected through an open call. Each speaker will give a short presentation on the development of contemporary jewelry in their country or cultural context. The presentations will be followed by a moderated comparative discussion.

The presentations and discussion will explore topics such as:

  • when and under what circumstances contemporary jewelry began to develop in a given country;

  • which artists, schools, galleries, institutions, or communities played a key role;

  • which historical events influenced the development of the local jewelry scene;

  • characteristic phenomena, materials, techniques, and stylistic tendencies;

  • relationships between the local jewelry scene and the international contemporary jewelry field;

  • whether elements of this history are still present in the work of contemporary artists.

The event is open to the public and admission is free.

No registration is required to attend. The audience will be invited to take an active part in the Q&A session following the presentations and moderated discussion.

The final program, including the full list of panel speakers and detailed schedule, will be announced soon.

Moderator

Anna Wójcik-Korbas (b. 1995, Poland) is an art historian, jewelry curator, researcher, and former coordinator (2021–2025) of the Legnica Jewellery Festival SILVER. She graduated from a secondary school of fine arts with a specialization in jewelry making. During her art history studies, she quickly realized that wearable art remains a largely overlooked field. Fascinated by this niche, she decided to dedicate her professional practice to the world of contemporary jewelry. Since 2026, she has been lecturing at the Jewellery Institute of the Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. She is a member of the International Amber Association and co-curator of the Unnecessary Jewellery project.

The project is carried out within the NetWorks programme of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.