International Silver Triennial opens in Pforzheim with 67 selected works from 15 countries

From sculptural vessels to finely worked functional pieces, the latest edition of the International Silver Triennial brings together some of the most accomplished contemporary silversmithing from around the world at the Jewellery Museum in Pforzheim, Germany, set alongside the museum’s own collections in silver and diamonds

One of the world’s leading exhibitions of contemporary silversmithing will open in Germany on Sunday 17 May, as Pforzheim’s Jewellery Museum presents the 21st International Silver Triennial alongside highlights from its own collection.

Opening on International Museum Day at 5pm and running to 6 January 2027, the show brings together selected works from 15 countries, together with silver and diamond pieces from the museum’s own holdings, works from its ethnographic collection and selected Grosse Sterling pieces.

The range of objects selected for this year’s triennial includes bowls, teapots, vases and lanterns to more experimental pieces, reflecting the breadth of work now being produced in the field.

The works on display are drawn from the International Silver Triennial, a competition organised by the Association for the Promotion of the Goldsmith’s Art and the German Goldsmiths’ House in Hanau since 1965.

It was established to support contemporary silversmithing and its continuing development, and after expanding into an international competition in 1992 has evolved into a travelling exhibition series shown in Germany and abroad.

This year’s edition drew 195 entries from 137 applicants in 21 countries, from which 67 works by 59 applicants from 15 countries were selected for exhibition.

Eight prizes with a total value of €20,000 were awarded. In the main competition, the winners were Yeunhee Ryu, Yongil Jeon and Jieun Park. In the section for emerging talent, prizes went to Yegyu Shin, Siqui Zhang, Jae Hui Jeong, Carl Kankowsky and Rebecca Bierbrodt, from Korea, China and Germany respectively.

The jury comprised Beate Leonards, a silversmith from Lübeck, Wim Nys, curator at the DIVA Museum in Antwerp, and Karen Pontoppidan, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. The exhibitions have been devised and curated by Katja Poljanac under the overall supervision of Friederike Zobel, the museum’s director.

Zobel said the range of work selected for the exhibition sat naturally alongside the institution’s earlier show on dining culture.

“The diversity of the exhibits is fascinating and, thematically, ties in well with our previous exhibition on dining cultures, titled ‘Dinner Is Served’,” she told The European.

Poljanac, the exhibition’s curator, said the chosen pieces moved between use and artistic expression while drawing attention to the material itself, adding: “The creations ingeniously bridge the gap between utilitarian objects and works of art, and effectively highlight the aesthetic qualities of silver.”

The organisers said the continued presence of both established designers and younger makers among this year’s applicants underlined the competition’s enduring appeal.

Since becoming international, the triennial has increasingly reflected global developments in contemporary silversmithing, with recent juries particularly struck by work from Asia.

Malte Guttek, director of the German Goldsmiths’ House in Hanau, said the selected works showed the breadth of current approaches to the material.

“The superbly designed vessels and intriguing objects juxtaposed in this Silver Triennial to striking effect compellingly illustrate the multifaceted ways of working with silver. The pieces selected bear witness to the artists’ in-depth involvement with shapes, surface textures and a wide variety of themes,” he said.

In addition to the triennial itself, the museum said it would later stage an exhibition by students on the Design, Jewellery and Utensils vocational college programme at Pforzheim’s Goldsmithing School.

It will also present displays exploring fashion and photography in relation to one another, described as examples of where applied art meets fine art.

Admission to the special exhibitions is €12.50, or €10 at the reduced rate.

Further Information
Produced with support from Pforzheim’s Jewellery Museum. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday and on public holidays from 10am to 5pm, excluding Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

For more information about the International Silver Triennial, visit www.schmuckmuseum.de

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^{Main Image: »Roca« vase, silver, Andreas Decker, 2024 Photo Andreas Decker}