MJW OVERVIEW 2020: SHARING IS CARING

TOBIAS BIRGERSSON

I have been programming director for the BA program at HDK metal art for four years now, during those years I have travelled to America, the UK, Germany and Estonia. I saw similarities and of course differences between the education systems during that time. 

This sharing project was conceived out of a frustration with the current political systems (Trump and Brexit), that are working against the makers, therefore making it difficult to coexist. We don’t have a real agreement with the UK/ The Hereford school, or the SIU carbondale in Illinois but in spite of the political climate, we still do collaborations and teacher exchange. 

Sharing is Caring is actually an exhibition, within the realm of metal, produced by the faculty members for the four schools. We have all taught at each others schools, therefore we share, as makers, with each other and with each others’ students. We believe that we should do things together, that we should share knowledge, that we should share culture. 

It’s not a big bold plan. It is a simple belief that we are stronger together, that we can and we should relate to people across borders. 

I have been going to the jewellery week for 11 years in a row, for me it is a melting pot for craft culture. 

I have the feeling that the jewellery week has been growing and growing. I feel that ‘Sharing and Caring’ could be too. 

Makers of ceramics, glass and hollowware, are all interested with interacting with society as a whole, we are not content with only being in our own bubble, therefore as a maker and as a teacher i think it’s important to interact with the platforms, MJW is one platform. These different platforms say different things, for me jewellery week is much more instrumental, it’s much more alive, not the Schmuck, I’m talking about what happens in the town in Munich. So for us to be associated with that, it is fantastic. Our element is Schmuck week, it is where other makers that are connected to a craft or related to a craft go.