Venice design week

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BALTIC JEWELLERY NEWS 40–2021

VENICE DESIGN WEEK

Interview with Lisa BALASSO

What is the main mission of the Venice Design Week?

Venice Design Week creates a network between designer, dealers, manufacturers and public. We promote brands and young designers. We love to create synergies to give new opportunities to the participants. Venice Design Week is in October, this month is dedicated to design, giving locals and tourists alike the opportunity to discover the Venice Design Week and at the same time the Biennale of Art or Architecture. VDW was founded by Lisa Balasso in the 2010.

How many events took place during 2020 edition? Did corona virus have some impact?

We had 30 events 8 of them only digital the other with the possibility to take part in it in person. In other years we have more participation but the corona virus limited the public, we

Lisa Balasso and Anna Fanigina had every event by reservation, it was more difficult for us to organize it with both systems physical and digital. What we loved of streaming events it was the direct connection with people who were on the other part of the world.

What role jewellery plays in this event?

It is important many newspapers in Italy speak about our design week like specialized in jewellery because we have more event about this subject. We love the Jewelry Selection because it was the first one that we decided to have each year. Now we are at the 7th edition.

What is the idea of INSTRUMENTADESIGN 2020?

Each Designer can be inspired by ancient objects, ruins and can develop a contemporary concept. We worked with Italian Museum in 2020 and we

Amedeo Bonini special mention – project Tene me ne mori – archeological inspiration slave collar at Museo Terme di Diocleziano Kirkeriano Roma Italia

Anna Fanigina Winner of INSTRUMENTADESIGN contemporary design inspired by archeology

are open to other museums for 2021. We believe that there are humankind basic necessities that have forged some shapes and we like to suggest the public to think about it.

How many participants did INSTRUMENTADESIGN 2020 have? From which countries?

The Competition INSTRUMENTADESIGN had 64 participants from Italy, Taiwan, India and Latvia. The Jewelry Selection had 78 projects from Italy, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, Croatia, Slovenia, Olanda, Israel, Brasile, Corea, United States, Czech Republic, Iran, Latvia.

Anna Fanigina from Latvia won the award. What was special about her work?

The collection of earrings dedicated to the heroines of Roman frescoes of the 1st century AD from Pompeii and Stabia won the first award INSTRUMENTADESIGN because her work was really particular and very well done.

The patterns for jewellery were such famous frescoes as “Flora”, “Leda” and “Diana” from a villa in Stabia, now presented in the Archaeological Museum of Naples, as well as other, less well-known images of dancers, flying figures and deities. It comes laden with a sense of flight, lightness, joy, so characteristic of ancient art. The main part of the earrings is made of silver with inserts of artificial gems or acrylic, the colour palette of which is selected according to specific samples of Roman wall painting. Each earring is unique due to its shade and impression transferred to the flat surface of gem using laser engraving. The works demonstrate the designer admiration for ancient culture and art, backed up by many years of work

Wu Meng Ju student prize – project Land – archeological inspiration tomba della Biga at Museo Nazionale Archeologico Adria RO Italia

in her experience in the archaeological expedition in the Roman villa in Stabia.

Anna Fanigina has been selected also for the exhibition Jewelry Selection 2020.

Are there any plans for Venice Design Week next year?

We have organized the new Venice Design Week Jewelry Selection 2021 which has the theme "dazzle me!" and will end on June 28th, 2021. The winners will exhibit in Venice in October. And for jewellery designers we have also the option inSHOP: if a designer looks for a retailer in Venice we can suggest this option it is an easy way to expand the network.

Next Venice Design Week will be from the 9th to the 17th of October 2021. ■