We are delighted to invite you to the opening of the exhibition "Von der Sprache der Steine" as part of the Idar-Oberstein adorned exhibition programme!

"Stones are silent teachers", wrote Goethe - and sought a deeper meaning in their speechlessness. The exhibition "Von der Sprache der Steine" at Villa Bengel takes up this idea and shows how art can give voice, expression and poetry to stone. On display are 15 works acquired from an estate by the internationally renowned gemstone artist Bernd Munsteiner (1943-2024), his son Tom and grandson Philipp Munsteiner, father and son Werner and Dieter Lorenz, the sculptor couples Kubach-Wilmsen, Kubach-Kropp and Vitalis Kubach as well as Milena Naef and David Bielander. From the Gemstone and Jewellery Campus are represented: Erik Lijzenga, Olga Krysanova, Vanessa Zöller and Maryam Akbarpour. A book tower by Kubach-Wilmsen is on permanent loan to the Villa Bengel garden.

Opening: Thursday, 3 July 2025, 6:30 pm at Villa Bengel and via livestream on the Jakob Bengel Foundation's Instagram channel, with a welcoming address by Peter Wenzel and an introduction by Wilhelm Lindemann.

Adress: Villa Bengel, Wilhelmstraße 44, 55743 Idar-Oberstein
Opening Hours: Di.-So. 10-5pm

Further info on the industrial monument Jakob Bengel and its foundation can be found here.

The Iranian artist and the Nigerian artist will be presenting the results of their Master's studies at the Gemstone and Jewellery Campus. The cultural roots, rituals and social situation of their home countries resonate in all their works: Nioosha Vaezzadeh deals with the position of women in Islamic society in her works; Chidimma Omeke addresses masquerade and identity; his thesis redefines jewellery as an extension of the mask.

"I entered the 3rd floor 3rd room DG004. Jakob Bengel industrial monument. Galalithgalalalalalalaland of milk and honey. Coagulated coloured milk in the form of rods, tubes, slabs - hundreds of them! I visit the galalith chamber every day and can't stop marvelling. To come to terms with this abundance, I have to play, play with the material.

The attraction lies in making, in trying things out, in experimenting with form, colour and the properties of the material. How challenging it is to develop new works from these possibilities...but slowly the idea coagulates into form."

Danni Schwaag will be showing older pieces of jewellery made of enamel, mother-of-pearl, wood, acrylic paint and galalith alongside new works created during her artist-in-residence stay at the Jakob Bengel Foundation and the Idar-Oberstein University of Applied Sciences over the past two months. The artist has captured moments, images and encounters in sketches, objects, installations and wearables.

Galalith is a 100-year-old casein material, a forerunner of today's plastics. Especially in the Art Deco and Bauhaus periods, the material was also used in the Jakob Bengel company to make jewellery and buttons. Danni Schwaag transfers the material and formal language into her work by playfully exploring the material's properties. Expressive colourfulness releases additional energy. The possibilities seem endless. By observing, playing, arranging, discarding and reorganising, she creates compositions that can be abstract or figurative. A never ending story - can't stop playing.

The exhibition was curated by Dr Christianne Weber-Stöber, who was director of the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus in Hanau from 2006 to 2023. The brooches were previously presented there. Before she took her well-deserved retirement in 2023, she organised the brooch exhibition as a farewell to her position. Her aim was to juxtapose classic historical jewellery with contemporary jewellery, creating an interaction between past and present. To this end, 12 alumni of Trier University of Applied Sciences each selected a brooch from an important private jewellery collection and responded to it in their own artistic style. Another historical brooch was then added to the pairs of brooches to further expand the context.

Dr Weber-Stöber travelled to Idar-Oberstein to set up the exhibition herself and give a speech at the opening. She already had a close connection to the Hunsrück university location and the industrial monument through her teaching activities in jewellery and art history at the Idar-Oberstein campus from 2004 to 2017 and her membership of the board of the Jakob Bengel Circle of Friends.

The artists represented in the exhibition are:

Sharareh Aghaei, Catalina Brenes, Patricia C. Domingues, Natascha Frechen, Tatjana Giorgadse, Mira Kim, Felicia Mülbaier, Julia Obermaier, Sonia Pibernat, Constanza Salinas, Danni Schwaag and Edu Tarín

The gemstone apothecary deals with the psychology of superstition, which manifests itself in the belief in healing stones and amulet jewellery. Abstracted psychopharmacology, botanical remedies, inkblots and lucky charms form the framework for the "healing" stones. Based on the efficacy of faith or placebo and the psychosocial functions of jewellery, "The Gemstone Apothecary" explores the reflexive acceptance of beliefs that can serve as a balm for the human psyche in uncertain times.

The American jewellery artist Sondra Sherman addresses precisely these themes in her series of works The Gemstone Apothecary. Her works combine precision craftsmanship with conceptual depth: each piece of jewellery is part of an imaginary apothecary in which gemstones are presented as symbolic remedies. Sherman thus reflects both historical and contemporary ideas of healing and protection. With a subtle wink, she scrutinises the interface between rational science and the emotional need for security - and at the same time opens up a poetic space for personal rituals and belief systems.

Erik Lijzenga is working on his Master's thesis at the university in Idar-Oberstein during the "LOST AND FOUND" exhibition. The exhibition opens with a collection of materials and at the finissage there will be a collection of (jewellery) works created from these materials.

The three-and-a-half months of research at the Jakob Bengel Foundation are driven by his motivations, which also drive him during his Master's degree in Gemstones and Jewellery.

Typhaine Le Monnier graduated from Trier University of Applied Sciences at the Idar-Oberstein campus in 2015 with a remarkable jewellery collection. Since then, she has continued to develop her work from her studio in Lisbon and has exhibited her pieces worldwide. Today, she is presenting the results of a three-month residency at the Jakob Bengel Foundation: "Playtime". The term sums up the artist's approach to jewellery design, which strikes a balance between innovative thinking and playful experimentation, challenging conventional notions of wearability and adornment in jewellery design.

In cooperation with Trier University of Applied Sciences, the Jakob Bengel Foundation Idar-Oberstein has been inviting jewellery artists to work as "artists in residence" at the historic Jakob Bengel jewellery and watch chain factory and the university since May 2006. The works they create during their stay reflect the atmosphere of the listed jewellery factory and the omnipresent glittering world of gemstones in Idar-Oberstein.

21 April to 21 June 2023
Exhibition opening: 20 April 2023,
18:30 at the Jakob Bengel Foundation

Detlef Thomas is showing works from 1980 to 2023. In addition to the jewellery, the ephemera related to his jewellery will also be on display in this exhibition. The ephemera intervene at one point or another in the "legibility" of the jewellery and are an interesting subtext to his works.
An important group of works in this exhibition are the enamels, a selection of which is being shown here for the first time and which are relevant to the artist because he has used them over the years to develop his own technical approach within a technique that is thousands of years old.
His works are characterised by a close look at form, colour, material and function and not infrequently transgress the set boundaries in order to be able to view the works quasi from the outside and thus more comprehensively, which here and there enables a completely new view of things.

Detlef Thomas only appears sporadically in public and thus his works are very rarely shown so extensively in an exhibition.

Virtual Tour

26 JANUARY - 16 APRIL 2023 IN THE BENGEL FOUNDATION

nsaio, "new jewellery from Idar-Oberstein", has now been a synonym for the presentation of works by students of Trier University of Applied Sciences in Idar-Oberstein over the past 20 years. It is a connecting link for highly diverse works, because we particularly value supporting individuality and personal handwriting in as wide a range of styles as possible. So it is not surprising that the primary goal of the Gemstone and Jewellery Department is to guide students on their way to becoming free-acting but critical individuals and, above all, independent artists with a unique identity. This exhibition shows the work of students from the last 15 years and thus also provides an insight into the development of the department. As the location Idar-Oberstein suggests, the Bachelor and Master of Fine Arts degree programme is not only about free artistic work, jewellery and adornment, but also - and often above all - about precious stones. They do not have to be present in every work, but an attitude towards the material should be developed. Studying in a gemstone centre presupposes this engagement.

This exhibition takes place as part of the exhibition programme "Idar-Oberstein adorned", a cooperation of the Jakob Bengel Foundation, the city of Idar-Oberstein and the Trier University of Applied Sciences, Campus Idar-Oberstein.

When & Where

The exhibition opening takes place on 26 January 2023 at 6:30 pm CEST at Villa Bengel, Wilhelmstr. 44, 55743 Idar-Oberstein  and via Instagram live @jakobbengel
You can visit the exhibition during the opening hours of the Industrial Monument Jakob Bengel.

Virtual Tour

A journey with Ramon Puig Cuyàs, Georg Dobler, Jürgen Eickhoff, Herman Hermsen, Winfried Krüger, Ruudt Peters and Graziano Visintin through the jewellery history of the last 45 years. The show presents seven jewellery designers, each a little older and active for decades, who have had a significant influence on the international jewellery scene. They are all artists of Galerie Spektrum, which was founded by Marianne Schliwinski and Jürgen Eickhoff in 1981 and is still one of the most important places on the jewellery scene. These artists have clearly shifted the symbiosis of art and craft towards art with their work. Tendencies of Bauhaus and Constructivism are recognisable, Pop Art flashes up and some pieces look like tiny architectures. With this generation of artists, jewellery has been given more content than ever before. On display in each case are a few older works and a comprehensive overview of the current works. In addition, photos show those pieces that seem important to the artists themselves in their development. CHRONOS looks back and forward, but above all it looks at a moment.
[Christoph Blase]

ARTWEAR offers an insight into contemporary Dutch jewellery with works by 24 jewellery makers; a wide range of artists, linked in the "Haarlems Sieraad Collectief", with very different works.some artists have just graduated, others have already carved out a place for themselves in the international jewellery scene. ARTWEAR shows Dutch author's jewellery in the broadest sense of the word. Artistic quality and craftsmanship were taken into account in the selection of the works. The relationship to the body, however, is the unifying element in these works. To express this, photographs of jewellery worn by artists from other disciplines were taken especially for this exhibition.

Haarlem's Sieraad Collectief

The collective was founded in 2017 in Haarlem, the Netherlands. Artistic vision, craftsmanship and professionalism unite the members of the collective. The aim of the HSC is to promote the creative climate for modern jewellery design and to draw the attention of the widest possible audience to it.

24.06.-06.10.2022, Villa Bengel

The town partnership Turnov - Idar-Oberstein will be celebrated in 2022 with 4 exhibitions:

• LET THERE BE ROCK - 3 exhibitions in Idar-Oberstein MORE
• LET THERE BE ROCK in the Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov (CZ) MORE  

Prof. Kollischan shows new works, created during a research semester, as well as an installation in the Bengelstiftung. Prof. Baumkötter from the HFK Bremen writes about Ms Kollischan's oeuvre: "It is an artistic work in different media that examines its conditions and means and does so in a very independent way. The aim of these works is not an aesthetic of any kind but the processing and investigation of the various media with the help of one's own subjectivity."

2 December 2021 - 10 april 2022 at Villa Bengel

Infos & virtual tour

(accompanying ThinkingJewellery XII at the Idar-Oberstein university)

Can art be satisfied with a role as a supplier of consumer goods in the market of the culture industry? Or is it time to focus more on the political implications of art in order to engage more proactively with contemporary social issues? Paintings by Pieter Lemmens, one of the speakers, will be shown at the symposium. Perhaps the most essential question related to Lemmens' work is: what exactly is there to laugh about? Criticism through humour and exaggeration runs like a thread through Lemmens' work.

Opening on 14 October 2021, 19:00 at the University of Applied Sciences in Idar-Oberstein.

MORE INFO

(accompanying ThinkingJewellery XII in Galerie Pfälzer Hof)

In 2021, the cooperation between the university and the Jakob Bengel Foundation with the galleries Chrom VI and Pfälzer Hof will continue. On the theme of the 12th Jewellery Symposium "The Political Challenge of Art", Galerie Pfälzer Hof will show the installations S/S 2020 and S/S 2021 S/S 2021 uses experimental 3D modelling and rendering to create a playful digital catwalk for Bruce Asbestos' spring/summer collection. Based on research trips to New York City, Chicago and Philadelphia and Asbestos' love of American pop culture, the outfits shown on the catwalk address the power of cultural identity in a globalised visual culture. The S/S catwalk features wild interpretations of American icons, including 'Kroc', a crocodile figure based on American McDonald's tycoon Ray Kroc, who made the company a symbol of American capitalism.  (curated by Dr. Eila Goldhahn)

Opening 15 October 19:00
Duration: 15 October to 31 October, daily from 17:00 to 23:00
Gallery Pfälzer Hof, Wasenstraße 90, 55743 Idar-Oberstein
www.pfaelzerhof.org | www.bruceasbestos.info

(accompanying ThinkingJewellery XII at the Jakob Bengel Foundation)

David Bielander does not work in themes or phases. All his works are one, a constantly growing body of work, interwoven, interconnected and slowly in motion. In this way, previously created works make astonishing developments. So what does it mean to imitate an animal or a flower in this dystopian reality? Who do we stick our tongue out at with the iconic rubber lip from 1999? And how does it interact with the 2019 Pinocchio nose carved from the wood of a confessional?

17 October - 25 November 2021 at Villa Bengel.

(accompanying ThinkingJewellery XII in Gallery Chrom VI)

In 2021, the cooperation between the university and the Jakob Bengel Foundation with the Chrom VI and Pfälzer Hof galleries will continue.
On the theme of the 12th Jewellery Symposium "The Political Challenge of Art", Chrom VI is showing works by the Japanese Kyoco Taniyama. Her creative inspiration is motivated by the concept of "ubiety". Guided by the seemingly simple question "Where am I now?", Taniyama addresses the individual's confusion, which is increasingly intensified by globalisation.

16 October - 25 November 2021 at the Chrom VI Gallery. 

12 August - 10 October 2021 at Villa Bengel

Today, "precious stones" are mostly worked into jewellery or gems. Masters of the Italian Renaissance also composed impressive pictures from hard stone elements ("pietre dure").

In this tradition, Dieter Lorenz and Bernd Munsteiner have created a large number of abstract works in recent years, which are being presented to the public together for the first time. Both pursue completely different artistic goals: While Munsteiner, as already in his sculptural work, is now also discovering the natural ornamentation of crystal as a material of art in two-dimensional images, Lorenz's colourful abstractions between design and conceptual art reflect the zeitgeist of the late 20th century.

11 June - 8 August 2021 at Villa Bengel

This exhibition of African jewellery features works by African jewellery artists from various countries, reflecting the extraordinary cultural diversity of the continent as well as the simultaneity of tradition and modernity.
The pieces of jewellery on display are part of a collection that Martina Dempf has assembled. The exhibition is complemented by works by European artists inspired by Africa's jewellery culture. Photographs visualise jewellery in African everyday life and at festivals.

MORE INFO

Dr Christianne Weber-Stöber has been the managing director of the Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst e.V., which is based in the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, for 30 years. As concurrent director of the Goldschmiedehaus, she looks after a representative collection of jewellery and tools with a focus on exhibits from 1965 to 2018. Such a collection is carefully built up and constantly expanded based on various criteria. When you are entrusted with such a task, it is inevitable that you will have very personal preferences.

The Jakob Bengel Foundation asked Christianne Weber-Stöber to present her favourite pieces from the Hanau municipal collection and some of her private jewellery in Idar-Oberstein.

13. Dezember 2019 – 22. März 2020 at Villa Bengel

Part of the degree programme at the university is an education in the free discipline of "design". This means that students are given the opportunity to develop their artistic self-perception and attitude. Works are created for their own sake, which do not have to be recognisable or wearable as jewellery, nor do they necessarily want to be recognised as works of art. Nevertheless, they are a living expression of the students' emerging artistic identity and are surprising and revealing in their potential radicalism.

In a double exhibition curated by Hans Benda in the Bengel Foundation and within walking distance in the Chrom VI exhibition space, both sides, jewellery and fine art, are presented and exhibited.

11. Oktober – 01. Dezember 2019 at Villa Bengel and at Chrom VI

"Not Only Decoration" (NOD) is a non-profit organisation that provides a platform for art and design projects that deal with social and ecological issues. It was founded by Laura Jack from Australia and Stephie Morawetz from Austria, both graduates of Trier University of Applied Sciences, specialising in gemstones and jewellery. "We have made it our mission to showcase projects that are significant for our society. They are more than mere decoration." "wearing change" will feature over 20 artists raising their voices to stimulate discussion about the pressing issues in the world today. Issues such as migration, feminism and the impact of industry on the environment will be explored in the form of wearable objects or items around the body, among others.

05. Juli – 06. Oktober 2019 at Villa Bengel

"Jewellery has moved me for a good 18 years. I have worked in many different workshops. I spent months or even years in some of them. During my time as a student in Idar-Oberstein, I also worked in a room in the Jakob Bengel factory. At another time, this room was a kitchen. A place where the family came together. A place where people ate together and shared. A place where stories and experiences were told. This knowledge and imagination have certainly influenced me in my work, because today I can figuratively say: when I travel, I "eat". When I tell, I share. When I "cook", I give things a new form. The pleasure comes with candour and bluntness."

26. April – 23. Juni 2019 at Villa Bengel

Melsheimer - one of the most traditional addresses in the jewellery industry. Founded 150 years ago by Christian Melsheimer, initially as a trading company, Melsheimer manufactures a never-ending variety of jewellery of all kinds at its later production site "Auf der Acht". In addition to necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and rings, Melsheimer's production in the 1960s and 1970s was characterised above all by jewellery accessories for the outerwear of fashion-conscious men and women. The company thus stands for an extremely successful era in the production of shoe jewellery, but also experienced the decline of the German shoe industry. The exhibition shows a spectacular cross-section of around 150 years of the company, which was run by the Melsheimer and Schwickert families until 2018.

15. März – 21. April 2019 at Villa Bengel

The three graduates of Trier University of Applied Sciences, specialising in gemstones and jewellery, are united by their preoccupation with stone. After more than five years of working independently, they came together again to create a dialogue between their objects and jewellery:

"Minimum, maximum in improvised nonsense, wonderfully purring and prancing. In movement. Contrasts and contradictions. Multiplied questions. Crazy mutation. Three shamans. Mutated universes, but vibrating.

Sacred difference? Differentiated bollocks? Molten imbecility? Strong sense in planetary bowls. Forged or glued? Mica, glitter, ugly, cosmic. Towards the origin. Crack in the stone? Towards zero."

14. Dezember 2018 – 28. Februar 2019 at Villa Bengel