Shine! - Jewellery time
Shine! - The Time of Jewellery, a new temporary exhibition opened at the Hungarian National Museum Public Collection Centre - Hungarian National Museum on 18 October 2024. In the exhibition, the curators show how jewellery, in addition to their outstanding aesthetic value, also carries deeper meanings. The essence of jewellery is something everyone can easily relate to. The institution expects another popular and spectacular exhibition.
Schedule
Palmettes and enameled discs from the Church of the Virgin Mary of Székesfehérvár, 12th century, converted into bracelets in the 19th century
Since time immemorial, jewellery has carried the most complex message about people, in life and in death. What makes jewellery timeless, yet unique and unrepeatable in a million ways, is not only the precious material and careful design, but also the spiritual value, the underlying meaning and the personal attachments. Whether they are jewels of the body or of the wearer, jewellery never exists in itself, but is understood in its entirety within a social context, and only through that context.
"It is important to bear in mind that it is often not individual choices and taste that determine jewellery, but representational needs. Jewellery is a language through which the wearer speaks about themselves, their identity and their community", says Erika Kiss, art historian, head of the Department of Modern Art at the MNMKK MNM Historical Archives, and one of the curators of the exhibition.
Bouquet-shaped bust ornament, mid-17th century; gold, pearls, ruby stones, enamel
There are even jewellery made from horseshoe pins and human hair.
"We present a selection of the most interesting and valuable pieces from the MNMKK Hungarian National Museum, following a curatorial concept with a narrative focus. It is our intention to make visitors reflect on the history and meaning of their own jewellery during the museum experience, and we hope that they will look at their favourite pieces in a different way." - said the co-curators of the exhibition, archaeologists Zsuzsa Hegedűs and Zsuzsa Pető, staff members of the MNMKK MNM NRI Archaeological Archives.
Bracelet in memory of the Thirteen Martyrs of Arad. Silver, c. 1850, detail
The title of the exhibition was inspired by Emese Benczúr's work "Shine", commissioned by the MNMKK Hungarian National Museum for the 2017 exhibition on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
One of the main ambitions of the exhibition, which opened in October, is to show the dimensions and multiple meanings of glow; the artist's work does the same with the tools of contemporary art.
A series of exciting accompanying activities, museum education sessions, workshops, pop-up exhibitions, contemporary reflections and surprises will also be part of the show, alongside a thematic collection of works for the gift shop.
The detailed programme is available on the official website (www.mnm.hu). - Jewellery Time will go on sale on 23 September 2024.
Hungarian National Museum
The Hungarian National Museum, often referred to as the "National Museum" in Hungarian parlance, is a national museum that collects and exhibits artefacts of Hungarian history. Its main building is located in the 8th district of Budapest, on Múzeum körút.