The Visual Feast box is inspired by arguably the most dazzling objects in the Gilbert Collection: five diamond-set boxes designed and made for Frederick II, King of Prussia (1712 – 86), also known as Frederick the Great, made between 1765 and 1780. These boxes attested to the skill of the craftsmen working in Prussia during Frederick the Great's reign (1740 – 86). They were extravagant and strategic commissions, allowing makers to explore innovative design in the latest techniques and most precious materials. They also proved that Berlin could rival Paris in the production of luxury goods. At a time when chic Parisian designers saw rococo as last season and had moved towards neo-classicism, defined by rational straight lines and references to antiquity, these boxes were asymmetrical, floral fantasies.
Left to right: Snuffbox, unknown maker, 1765, Germany; snuffbox, Jean Guillaume George Krüger, 1775 – 1780, Germany ; snuffbox, unknown maker, about 1765, Germany
Created for the royal courts of the 18th-century, the boxes were used in exquisitely designed and built palaces, during meticulously choreographed ceremonies and events, by an elite whose appearance was as carefully constructed and opulent as the boxes they used. Weidenbach's work pays tribute to this world and its understanding of the power of objects, whilst also interrogating its aesthetics and deployment of luxury. Weidenbach consciously engages with the extravagance of these objects: her box is encrusted with the same abundance of diamonds and mother-of-pearl as their historic counterparts, posing questions of how this aesthetic functions today.
In the display, Visual Feast (July 2018 – January 2019), Weidenbach stages an intervention throughout the Gilbert Galleries, inserting her pieces into the display cases that hold the Gilbert Collection's historic decorative arts. The juxtaposition of her futuristic jewellery and the historic objects forms a link from the past to the present. This contrast asks the viewer to consider how objects communicate with us, how they express ideas – from power to identity – and how they can enchant us with the mystery of how they came to be. Looking at Weidenbach's work inspires the viewer to engage with historic objects in a visceral, personal way, indulging in their visual power and letting their eyes take their fill.
Interior of the Gilbert Galleries showing mounts by Katrin Hanusch for Silvia Weidenbach's Visual Feast. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Weidenbach engaged collaborators to realise her vision for the display. Sculptor Katrin Hanusch, translated Weidenbach's concepts to create 'mounts' for the jewellery. Intricate yet unobtrusive museum-made metal stands are used throughout the galleries to support the historic pieces without distracting from the objects on display. Weidenbach's sculptural mounts subvert this purpose by creating fantasy landscapes for her pieces and the neighbouring Gilbert objects, designating the gallery space as a playful one, to be visually enjoyed.
Digital artist Jon Emmony produced a video piece, Visual Feast: Moving Image. The film visualises Weidenbach's creative process. It explores the collisions of contemporary and historic, physical and digital that define Weidenbach's work. 3D scans and images of objects are merged with data that, when printed and hand-finished, becomes one of Weidenbach's pieces. Through these ruptured and shifting forms, Emmony creates a portrait of the maker and her process. These collaborations provide another avenue of engagement for the viewer to enjoy, and further demonstrate the power of the Gilbert Collection to inspire contemporary artists.
The commissioned bejewelled box will provide a physical legacy of the residency, remaining in the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection.
All the work carried out throughout Silvia Weidenbach's residency, including a publication and the commission, is generously supported by the Gilbert Trust for the Arts.
Pages: 1 · 2
More Articles
- Joan L.Cannon Wrote: A Family Inheritance: More Than 'Things' ... Emblems of Our Lives
- Upcoming Exhibitions at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT): Head to Toe and Ravishing: The Rose in Fashion
- Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving: Exceptional Garments Alongside 34 of Her Drawings and Paintings
- Making Marvels: Science and Splendor at the Courts of Europe; Don't Miss The Draughtsman-Writer
- Paris 1900 and the Atmosphere of the Belle Epoque Recreated, A Vibrant and Swiftly Changing City
- Chicago Institute of Art and John Singer Sargent, Georg Jensen and Arms, Armor, Medieval, and Renaissance
- Art Nouveau In the Netherlands, a Quest for the 'Truth', the 'Genuine', the Original; Leaving in Architecture and the Decorative Arts
- High Society from Cranach to Velázquez and from Rembrandt to Manet at the Rijksmuseum
- Lost: An Incredible Emporium
- A Place for Healing and Reconciliation: National Museum Of African American History And Culture