Since the end of the nineteenth century, Munich has been an important centre of goldsmithing and jewellery. The Münchner Stadtmuseum has recently acquired a collection of Munich jewellery that bears testament to this rich history. To mark this occasion, an exhibition was conceived that places these historical pieces in dialogue with contemporary works by students of the Schmuckklasse at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich.
The exhibition design focused on creating an unbiased framework for this juxtaposition. A limited number of spatial interventions were introduced to condense and clarify the existing exhibition space. Unsurprisingly for a jewellery exhibition, the fundamental element of the design was the vitrine, as all pieces had to be displayed behind glass. These showcases take on a variety of distinctly different forms, structuring the space while simultaneously providing a framework for the exhibited works.
