Cooper Hewitt welcomed Wellington, New Zealand-based artist Karl Fritsch. Playful and tough, intricate and coarse, Fritsch’s avant-garde pieces challenge the concept of what jewelry, and sculpture, can be. Joined by Fritsch Jeanne Greenberg Rohaytn, owner of Salon 94 and Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, Curator of Contemporary Design.

 

 

 

SPEAKERS

Headshot of jewelry designer, Karl Fritsch. He is bald and wearing a plaid shirt. He is smiling slightly.

Karl Fritsch began his education at the Goldsmiths School in Pforzheim and studying at the Academy of Fine Arts (1987-1994) in Munich. Fritsch has taught in art schools across the world, exhibited internationally and his work has been acquired for public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the National Gallery of Victoria and Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. A practice that focuses on the ring, Fritsch explores taste, aesthetics and desire as he manipulates perceived ideas of preciousness and convention. The highly covetable rings have seen him win numerous awards and become a cult figure in contemporary jewellery. He also works collaboratively with a range of artists, including artist Francis Upritchard and furniture designer Martino Gamper. In 2006 he received the highly prestigious international Françoise van den Bosch Award.

black and white photograph of Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, curator of contemporary design at Cooper Hewitt. She is seated at a table with her arms folded in front of her. She wears a white turtleneck.

 

Alexandra Cunningham Cameron is a curator and writer based in New York. She is Curator of Contemporary Design and Edward and Helen Hintz Secretarial Scholar at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Formerly the Editor in Chief of the Miami Rail, a quarterly independent arts journal, and Creative Director of the Design Miami/ fairs, her work has generated a broad range of cultural experiences that advance a critical dialogue around the arts, cultivate international audiences and create platforms for designers.

 

Photograph of Jeanne Greenberg, gallery owner.

Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn is a gallerist, art advisor, and curator.  A fierce activist, she is committed to feminist and progressive politics and, in keeping with her belief in art’s power to bring about social change. Greenberg Rohatyn founded her first gallery space in 2002, later adding venues on the Bowery in 2007 and 2010. Salon 94 is a unique project space in her home on 94th street that explodes the notion of a traditional white box gallery.  Next year she will consolidate her galleries to the former National Academy of Design on 3 East 89th Street. She has championed artists such as Huma Bhabha (last year’s MET Roof Garden Commission recipient), Judy Chicago, Katy Grannan, David Hammons, Lyle Ashton Harris, Marilyn Minter, Laurie Simmons, and Betty Woodman among many others.  Karl Fritsch’s rings have been featured in her program since 2007. Greenberg Rohatyn is radical in breaking hierarchies between design and high art. In 2017, she founded Salon 94 Design to represent Max Lamb, Philippe Malouin (2018 Wallpaper* Designer of the Year), and Gaetano Pesce. Greenberg Rohatyn sits on the Boards of White Columns and Performa, she is a member of the ADAA Board, and has served on the Frieze Art Fair committee.

 

 

 


 

About NYC JEWELRY WEEK

This event was part of  New York City Jewelry Week.

New York City Jewelry Week, held from November 18-24,  is the first and only local week dedicated to promoting and celebrating the world of jewelry. NYCJW provides access to the multifaceted jewelry industry through ground-breaking exhibitions, panel discussions led by industry experts, exclusive workshop visits, heritage-house tours, innovative retail collaborations, and other unforgettable one-of-a-kind programming created by the best and brightest in the industry. This year NYCJW will include over 130 events taking place in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Visit our website for the full schedule: www.nycjewelryweek.com  Please contact hello@nycjewelryweek.com for additional information.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is proud to be the official 2019 NYCJW museum partner.