Contain a message – Zeichen am Körper

The jewelry culture and the phenomenon "jewelry" with its symbolism belongs indispensably to the human being: jewelry as an indicator, as a representative symbol of an identity and statement.

The "medallion," known as a hinged piece of jewelry and usually filled with a photograph or other keepsake such as a note, is considered exemplary for involving a personal message in a body-based work during this particular semester.

We explored contemporary needs that a medallion can fulfill as a container or carrier of a message. In a very public-digitally communicated world we need contemporary forms of expression to bring and carry personal statements, memories and thought spaces into the body reference.

An enormous challenge in this first Covid 19 semester was the omission of the infrastructure of the workshops, which would have supported the implementation and realization of the concepts in normal cases. All the works were created in the students' environment.

Extensive online inputs, regular online consultations and conversations were the basis for this semester project. Based on this, the students tried their hand at dialoguing with the material completely independently, sometimes without any prior knowledge of new materials. The results and photos are correspondingly impressive.

Anita Kirck: "My goal is to offer a way of wearing the organ donor card that will make it clear to the viewer that we are all bearers of organs, but that we can also give them away or pass them on. The recipient should be challenged by this medallion to engage with the issue of organ donation."

Jana Hannig: "At second glance, you notice that the side walls have different transparencies and something is hidden inside. When you take it off the shoulder, the inside is revealed. These inner elements are unique shapes, they represent movement and eruption in a positive sense. A person needs a tenth of a second to judge an unknown person. A tenth of a second is not enough to show one's uniqueness."

Marten Kueß: "Communicating ideology is about transferring one's own perspective to the other. Images can play a powerful role because they can directly influence another person's tangible world. In this way, scenarios and everyday situations could be brought into contact with something larger. This can be seen in political motivations, but also in advertising and art. How much of the published images of politics are in our daily lives? Can we look at them from a distance?"

Niklas Kiehne: "The necklace is very tight-fitting and cannot be removed without a key. It also holds the guard, which is not easily taken off either, especially if it has been violated in the past."

Luisa Stibbe: "From the outside, we are all different. But on the inside, something connects us. Even if we are different - we share being human. The objects stand for more transparency and tolerance in life. We should not judge anyone by the differences. For this reason, the objects are open to connections and can be worn by one or two people - even if they don't touch, they communicate with each other."

Franka Lenferink: "The coral material looks organic and alive. If you look at them, you can only guess how they feel. The orange-red color seems warm, but it is also a warning sign. My interpretation of a locket is brooches as an image of protection. These pieces sit securely and firmly on the body. They can't fall off - they are there to protect the pearl."

Sujin Kim: "Most people receive flowers, letters and gifts from family, friends in their happy and joyful moments. After some time, people remember the feelings of those days and miss the moment through these objects. I use these memories as material in my work, they contain traces of those moments. At the same time, I wanted to create a form that is not only jewelry, but also used as a vase. The symbol of the upside-down vase indicates the drying and preservation process. When the flowers wither, you can feel the passage of time."

Sandra Klose: "This personal necklace is essentially made of materials that embody and represent a kind of movement in life. Purchase receipts and tickets for events are hidden in the leaves and in the falling water. This is not immediately apparent to the viewer. As this work begins to move, other aspects will become apparent."