Gallery Slavik's "Grassi Prize 2004"

On the occasion of this year's Grassi Fair in Leipzig, Galerie Slavik has for the third time donated a prize endowed with EUR 2000. With this prize, Galerie Slavik expresses its great commitment to promoting contemporary jewellery art.

The "Grassi Prize 2004" goes to the "Alchimia" School for Contemporary Jewellery Art.

Speech by Mrs. Renate Slavik at the award ceremony

"I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Vienna's Galerie Slavik and tell you a little about our goals and objectives.

For me, running a gallery is mainly about supporting creativity. I would like to give artists the chance to put their ideas into practice and, with Galerie Slavik, provide them with a promotional platform for the presentation of their jewellery art.

Especially nowadays it seems to me more important than ever to support those quiet moments in which small pieces of art are created in the artists' studios. In this age of fully automated perfectionism, where everything has to be ever faster and ever larger, we need to be able to appreciate unique treasures.

The other major aim of Galerie Slavik is to convey a deeper understanding of the meaning and the character of contemporary jewellery art.

Again, especially nowadays we have to make people aware that to do all this idealism alone is not enough.

We need sponsors and patrons who will support the valuable work of our artists. By doing so they contribute greatly to the appreciation of these special works and the important ideas and messages they express.

After all, these works of art are the antiques of tomorrow!

Thank you very much!"

The "Alchimia"

It takes a fair bit courage to found a school for modern jewellery nowadays! "Alchimia" was founded in 1998 by Doris Massinger and Lucia Massei. In the meantime "Alchimia" has gained an international reputation and young people from all over the world come there to study. People are realising that "Alchimia" has become a link between Arte póvera and contemporary jewellery art.

Alchimia's students can count themselves lucky to belong to the avant-garde of a new Italian movement in jewellery art. In awarding this prize we would like to express our wholehearted support for this movement.

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