Italian Cultural Institute: Jewelry as Art: Between Museums, Collections, and the Market

Paola Stroppiana, art historian, will speak with Diane Venet, collector, and Esther de Beaucé, gallery owner.

From the 1930s to the present day, artist jewelry has established itself as an autonomous, intellectual, and identity-defining language—a work of art in its own right. Paola Stroppiana, art historian, journalist, and specialist in artist-made jewelry, traces its history with a focus on Italian masters: from Lucio Fontana to Arnaldo Pomodoro and Gio Pomodoro, including Giuseppe Penone and Giulio Paolini; the scope broadens to include international figures such as Man Ray, Lee Ufan, and Joanna Vasconcelos.

The special guest is Diane Venet, whose extraordinary collection of artist jewelry has made a decisive contribution to the codification of this language on an international level. Joining her, Esther de Beaucé, owner of the MiniMasterpiece gallery in Paris, will speak on the dialogue between museums, the market, and research.

Between memories and encounters, art and business, the panel explores the role of collectors and institutions in the recognition of jewelry as a work of art. A multi-voiced discussion to understand how artist jewelry—a wearable sculpture—continues to tell the story of art through its dialogue with the body.