CLUSTER CONTEMPORARY JEWELLERY FAIR 2024
TALKS PROGRAMME
Curated by Ema Marinova & Alexandra Hebblethwaite
Artwork by Diane Bresson
Cluster Contemporary Jewellery 2024 presents a programme focused on professional advice and the future of the contemporary jewellery industry. It aims to initiate thought-provoking conversations and exchange between industry professionals and artists.
Gathering experts from across the UK and mainland Europe, the Cluster Jewellery programme looks at the present and future of jewellery, recognising the growth of the contemporary jewellery scene within the UK and abroad, and the positioning of galleries, associations and trade vehicles.
Stay tuned as the programme will keep evolving in the following weeks.
Expect in-depth recorded conversations with key contemporary jewellery professionals
such as Eliana Negroni, Roberta Bernabei and more.
INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES Q&A
Our Q&A series brings together representatives from both the British and Italian Contemporary Jewellery Associations, gallerists, jewellers and market consultants. Through their combined experience, we hope to provide a holistic and supportive programme for our artists to make the most of. Answering questions from the role of the contemporary jewellery association to how best to integrate oneself in the jewellery market, this series presents practical advice both for emerging makers and those with a more established trade.
ELIANA NEGRONI & ROBERTA BERNABEI | AGC ASSOCIAZIONE GIOIELLO CONTEMPORANEO
DANIELLA WELLS | MARKET EXPERT
VARUNA KOLLANETHU | RUUP&FORM
JADE MELLOR | JEWELLER
THE TOPICS
THURSDAY 21ST MARCH
Associazione Gioiello Contemporaneo Eliana Negroni & Roberta Bernabei
Daniella Wells
AGC has 20 years of deepening knowledge and developing sense of community in the Contemporary Jewellery field. This talk will delve into the adventurous journey of the Italian Association of Contemporary Jewellery through its ethos, key international projects and fostering a sense of community within this field.
Consultant Daniella Wells gives an overview of her work with selling events and fairs over the last 20+ years and a view into the potential of the jewellery marketplace into the future.
OUR SPEAKERS
Meet the speakers for 2024’s Cluster Contemporary Jewellery Fair, which is taking place in West London’s historically significant and strikingly beautiful Chelsea Old Town Hall.
ELIANA NEGRONI
Eliana Negroni is a designer and maker based in Italy, graduated in 1990 from Milan State University. Since 1997 she works and researches in the field of metalworking, tool-making and jewelry design.
Founder and curator of the Gioielli in Fermento art jewellery project in 2011, developed a strong experience as an independent curator and as director of the Archivio Negroni. This place today is a contemporary craft hub in Milan, originated from the family’s jewellery toolmaking firm and master engraving heritage archive.
DANIELLA WELLS
Daniella Wells is a market development specialist focusing on contemporary craft, advising and supporting fairs, galleries and makers.
Daniella has supported Collect fair for 20 years! Beginning her arts career Daniella worked with curators Janice Blackburn and Rachael Barraclough on Contemporary Decorative Arts exhibitions at Sotheby's in London and New York. From 2016-2018 Daniella worked with Nadine Vischer Klein and Brian Kennedy Curation as Head of Exhibitor Relations on TRESOR contemporary craft in Basel, Switzerland, including associated events such as the installation of contemporary objects in the 18th Century Wildt'sches Haus for the exhibition: Dialogues Through Time.
VARUNA KOLLANETHU
Varuna Kollanethu is the Founder of Ruup & Form, a curated collection of effortless contemporary objects currently that collaborates with emerging and established makers. Employing an exhibition model, Ruup & Form has presented thematically organised group exhibitions with Collect, London Craft Week, London Design Festival and Pi Artworks. Prior to working in crafts, Varuna developed expertise working in advertising and brand management for ING Worldwide and for clients including Unilever, IBM and the World Gold Council. She holds a MA Curating Contemporary Design from Kingston University and a MA Journalism and Public Relations from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication.
ROBERTA BERNABEI
Dr Roberta Bernabei is the Director of Doctoral Programmes, at the School of Design and Creative Arts, Loughborough University, External Examiner at the Royal College of Art, Jewellery & Metal and visiting Reader at BCU, School of Jewellery.
She is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Jewellery Research and co-founder with Prof. Jayne Wallace. She is Vice-President of the Italian Contemporary Jewellery Association (AGC) and visiting Reader at Birmingham City University in the Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and Textiles, including the role as international ambassador of the Institute and the ‘Craft Cultures’ research cluster. She holds a Ph.D. from Loughborough University with the thesis ‘Jewellery Theory and Practice: An investigation into emotionally invested and mnemonic jewellery through senstitising materials’.
www.agc-it.org
@agc.italy
JADE MELLOR
Jade's work is all about creativity and curiosity, constantly researching ideas and techniques. These include site visits, working with museum curators and learning via specialised courses in natural science and ancient history and periods of study.
A sculptor, not a manufacturer these pieces take many hours over many days, weeks or even months and years to produce. The finished objects are milestones of what she has discovered along her path. By choosing jewellery as a medium these ideas invite you to engage with them by being worn. This allows them to continue to communicate and share their inspiration by the wearer. The word jewel originates from the Latin jocale, which refers to a plaything or object for entertainment.