The exhibition “a shared silence” brings together the works of ten Iranian jewellery artists who have links to Idar-Oberstein through their studies or graduation from the Gemstone and Jewellery Campus at Trier University of Applied Sciences. In September and October 2026, the group exhibition will be presented as part of the 3rd Lisbon Contemporary Jewellery Biennial and Romanian Jewellery Week.
For the artists, Idar-Oberstein has, for a time, become a place to live, learn and work. At the same time, their connection to Iran and to the social and political developments there remains an important part of their artistic exploration. Set against the backdrop of their cultural heritage and their new surroundings, they create works that explore questions of identity, belonging, loss and distance.
Traditional symbols are not simply adopted, but are transformed, deconstructed and reassembled. Identity emerges as something fluid and constantly renegotiated – between the past and the future, closeness and distance, belonging and separation.
“a shared silence” brings together diverse artistic perspectives shaped by experiences of migration, loss and repression. The works on display navigate between memory and the present, hope and uncertainty. Jewellery becomes a space for reflection and a means of giving visible form to experiences and feelings that are difficult to put into words. Fragile materials, breaks and fragmented forms allude to vulnerability and the search for stability. At the same time, the exhibition explores resilience, dignity and perseverance. The physical distance from Iran does not imply a detachment from developments there. Rather, the artists remain connected to current conditions and incorporate the resulting tension into their work.
The exhibition does not view these different experiences as a single, unified narrative. Rather, ‘a shared silence’ creates a shared space in which individual perspectives, memories and forms of artistic expression can coexist.
Following its initial exhibition at Villa Bengel in Idar-Oberstein last April, ‘a shared silence’ will be shown as part of the 3rd Lisbon Contemporary Jewellery Biennial in Lisbon. The exhibition will take place from 24 to 26 September 2026 at Santas Justa e Rufina, Largo de São Domingos. Opening hours are daily from 11 am to 7 pm. The opening reception will take place on 24 September at 2 pm; visitors are invited to enjoy refreshments.
The exhibition will then be presented at Romanian Jewellery Week 2026 in Bucharest. The works will be on display at the National Library of Romania from 30 September to 4 October 2026.
The following are taking part in 'a shared silence':
Bahareh Arian · Farnoosh Abdoli · Mana Jahangard · Nioosha Vaezzadeh · Pegah Vedad · Rezvan Hajian · Sara Heidary · Shahin Sahafipour · Sharareh Aghaei · Vesal Bahmani Nik
This joint exhibition highlights the diverse ways in which contemporary jewellery can be used as an artistic medium – and how personal experiences of heritage, migration and social change are expressed through materials, form and the relationship to the body.
You can find additional information on the group's Instagram-Account “a shared silence”. Here, you can find further information on the 3rd Lisbon Contemporary Jewellery Biennal and on Romanian Jewelry Week 2026.
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