4th TRIPLE PARADE Biennale for Contemporary Jewellery
THREE TIMES — Dialogue Across the Past, the Present, the Future.
Direction: Jie Sun / CAO Dan
Organizing Committee:
HOW Art Museum-Design Center
Shanghai College of Design and Innovation, Tongji University Shanghai 201203, China
Contemporaneity is not merely a concept of time, rather it is an integration of dimensions of time, space and mass. Its structure can be presented in the form of an idea, a question, or a virtual concept, an imagination, a notion, or a task; but from the perspective of history and time, it is happening at this precise moment, which makes it possible to be interpreted and perceived in the context of globalization. Only in this sense is the concept “contemporary” established, and only when this concept is conferred to jewellery can contemporary jewellery truly be considered “contemporary” and reflect the spirit of art and time.
Jewellery is not just a form, and it also explores the complex and dynamic relationships between people, people and objects, people and society, and people and the world as a whole. The evolvement of jewellery reflects changes in social trends and culture, which displays more diverse elements in the contemporary context. This biennale is themed “Three Times”, indicating that it will inspire intriguing exploration and dialogue between time and space. Timewise, it showcases the past – tradition and singularity, the present – existence of diverse values and dimensions, and the future – a reality that not yet exists and has every possibility. Spacewise, it connects Shanghai, one of the world’s top metropolitans; China, a rising nation; and the whole world, an ever-changing arena.
This “dialogue” stresses the core content covered by forms of time and space – the contemplation on value. Whether it’s the material value, economic value, emotional value, humanitarian or historic value, the existence of each type of value helps to construct the world and enables the continuous development of human society. Throughout its thousands of years of history, jewellery has been intrinsically entangled with myriads of things, which gradually turns it into a unique symbol that can epitomize how a society and culture perceives “value” in a specific time and space.
This is the value contemporary jewellery carries. It is positive and creates its own content. As in all disciplines, it is subject to critique and interpretation, and is ready to stand up to discussion and challenges. It is magnificent, radical, and conceptual, inspiring imagination for the future and ideas for fashion, design, art and innovation. It is an art form and an indispensible platform for fashion. The power hidden in its tiny size should never be underestimated, because art aficionados and fashion followers are all fanatical about it. It can also be very personal and acts as a medium to tell stories, memories and life snippets of its owner, or even prophesy the future. More than that, jewellery is often resorted to confirm the relationship between self and others and society.
The study about jewellery is flourishing. As many other disciplines have done, it is defining its own boundaries as well as interdisciplinary relations. Whether from the present to the past, or from the future to the present, time and space shall not become the boundaries of our cognition and discussion about value; every type of value or concept has its own profound significance.
The 4th TRIPLE PARADE Biennale themed “Three Times” will open at Shanghai HOW Art Museum-Design Center on 19th October, 2018, under the joint efforts with College of Design and Innovation (D&I), Tongji University. The event consists of exhibition, symposium, lectures and workshops. The exhibition, which comprises four sections– Intimate Encounter, Like Attracts Like, Arty Game, and Viva La Different, will display 500 pieces of artworks created by nearly 300 artists from 34 countries and regions. The artworks in the “Intimate Encounter” section were selected through a public invitation that was open internationally for 18 months, the pieces in “Like Attracts Like” were selected and sent by international galleries, “Arty Game” consists of artworks from outstanding contemporary visual artists, while “Viva La Different” features a collection selected by curators from ten countries and regions.
This year’s biennale will present the vast diversity of global contemporary jewellery creations to the Chinese public, while generating fascinatingly creative and inspiring dialogues in contemporary art, fashion, design and crafts. We sincerely invite you to enjoy this “feast” of contemporary jewellery, which is full of captivating surprises and enlightenments for the future.
