Silver Triennial 2023: contemporary design expo

DIVA presents the Silver Triennial, exhibition for contemporary design, from 26 August to 8 October 2023. The Silver Triennial competition is organised every three years by the German Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst and the Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau. This year it is taking place for the 20th time.

What started out in 1965 as a local exhibition is now considered the most prestigious silver competition, highlighting new trends in international silver design. ​ ​
​A total of 121 silversmiths, designers and artists registered for this ​ edition. They come from 21 different countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States of America. A jury of experts shortlisted the 67 most innovative entries for the exhibition. The members of the jury are:

• Dirk Allgaier – director of arnoldsche Art Publishers

• Dr Claudia Banz – curator Design at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Berlin

• JaKyung Shin – silversmith and assistant professor at Seoul National University in South Korea ​

The chosen objects vary in form, function and technique. You will see traditional utility objects – such as coffee pots, vases and dishes – but also artistic, non-functional objects that play with the characteristics of silver.

A notable feature of this edition of the Silver Triennial is the number of artists inspired by recent social and ecological issues such as the covid pandemic and climate change. They use silver to communicate critical messages and/or to process psychological stresses. ​ ​

Eight winners and Belgian participants

From all selected participants, the jury chose three winners for the main contest, including one Belgian, and five for the youth promotion contest, in respective order:

• Markus Pollinger, Germany, first prize (Ebbe Weiss-Weingart Prize), vessel Gefäß

• David Huycke, Belgium, second prize (Robbe & Berking Prize), Cosmic Bubbles

• Maja Houtman, The Netherlands, third prize (Ebbe Weiss-Weingart Silver Prize), Sphere I, II and IV

• HyeSun Lee, Korea, first prize (1st Lions Club Hanau Youth Promotion Prize), Hand-Lighthouse

• Koichi Io, Japan, second prize (2nd Lions Club Hanau Youth Promotion Prize), Three legged Vase

• Merit Christian, Germany, third prize (3rd Lions Club Hanau Youth Promotion Prize), Born with a silver spoon

• JaeHui Jeong, Korea, fourth prize (Hanauer Schmuckhalbzeug Silver Prize), Hidden object

• Kazuhiro Toyama, Japan, fifth prize (Heimerle + Meule silver prize), Biophilia Ephemeral Vase

The other Belgian participants are Patrick Storme with Origin of Species and Helena Schepens with Undatio.

Finissage

On Thursday 5 October, DIVA will host the finissage of the Silver Triennial, exhibition for contemporary design with some DIVA talks and a reception afterwards. The museum welcomes leading domestic and foreign silversmiths during the DIVA talks.
​Markus Pollinger, winner of the 20th Silver Triennial, will take the attendees through the design and production process of his winning object. The three Belgian candidates David Huycke, Helena Schepens and Patrick Storme explain their work. Germany's Beate Leonards reveals the secrets of her selected teapot and Gretal Ferguson, also artist in residence at DIVA, talks about her journey as a silversmith.

More about the DIVA talk 20th Silver Triennial you can find here on our website. 

Interviews silversmiths 20th Silver Triennial

Digital interviews via Zoom and Teams, taken in September - October 2022

Interviewees: Minsik Ahn, Daan Brouwer, Yuan Cheng Chang, Susan Coddon, Andreas Decker, Gretal Ferguson, Anne Fischer, Daniela Herrmann, Maja Houtman, David Huycke, Michael Kiefer, Catherine Large, Einat Leader, Annette Lechler, Beate Leonards, Katherina Moch, Radka Passianova, Markus Pollinger, Christine Ramel, Helena Schepens, Bruno Sievering-Tornow, Oliver Smith, Patrick Storme, Mariko Sumioka.