A competition that electrifies the international goldsmithing community
The WOW! effect is not only the title of the competition, but also the goal that the participants set themselves. As many as 268 artists from 42 countries - from Europe to South America - took part in this year's edition. The jury selected 44 works from 22 countries for the post-competition exhibition at Galeria Sztuki in Legnica - works that are original, daring, moving and surprising.
The Grand Prix of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage was awarded to Konstanze Prechtl from Austria - her work impressed with its formal precision and perverse approach to the concept of „flaw”, which she treated as an... aesthetic advantage. It is this approach that makes the idea of the „WOW effect” a reality - a surprise that stays with the viewer for a long time.
- Antal Zilahi (Hungary) - creator of a poetic mirrored brooch that plays subtly with reflection and perspective - 2nd prize
- Into Niilo (Belgium) - author of a bold, conceptual necklace with a hidden message - 3rd prize.
Among the Polish prize-winners, Sergiusz Kuchczynski stood out, who used and transformed ready-made everyday objects in his series „Lust”. Michalina Owczarek-Siwak, in turn, caught the jury's eye with her interactive work. Prizes were also awarded to artists from Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, the USA and Slovakia - thus emphasising the global scope of the competition and the wealth of creative attitudes represented in this year's edition.
Art that counts
The total prize pool in the competition amounted to almost PLN 120,000, with the addition of 5 kg of silver granules donated by KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. The prestige of the event is also evidenced by an impressive group of partners, including Inhorgenta (Munich), Cluster Craft (London), YES Gallery, MYDAYBYDAY Gallery (Rome), Hopea and the International Amber Association.
The full list of award winners is available at: silver.legnica.eu
This year's level of the Legnica exhibition confirms its importance as the leading event in the area of artistic jewellery in Europe. This is evidenced not only by the number of works submitted, but also by the quality and stylistic and workmanship diversity of the objects qualified for the exhibition and awarded. Surely each visitor to the exhibition will find his or her own „WOW effect!” The work that won the Grand Prix - by Austrian artist Konstanze Prechtl - is worth a close look. It is not only a cleverly constructed object, made using innovative industrial laser cutting technology, but also a thought-provoking commentary on the interface between the real and the digital world with a consciously designed, distracting blemish, distracting us from the display through which we view the world today. It is an invitation to at least temporarily log off, concentrate and return to material reality," concluded Professor Sławomir Fijałkowski, one of the jurors of this year's competition.
A festival full of SILVER highlights
The Legnica SREBRO 2025 Festival is not just a competition - it is a multifaceted celebration of contemporary jewellery that attracts artists, curators, collectors and art lovers from all over the world every year. The programme of this year's edition includes numerous individual and collective exhibitions presenting the latest works of artists from Poland and abroad, as well as an international symposium devoted to current trends and challenges in goldsmithing art. As every year, Legnica was transformed into a space open to experiment, dialogue and creative brilliance. The SREBRO Festival is a place where jewellery speaks volumes - about emotions, about society, about ourselves.
International Goldsmiths' Art Competition is an artistic event in which the organiser - the Legnica Art Gallery - does not impose restrictions on techniques or materials. The overriding criterion remains the artistic response to the main theme. This year's slogan - „The WOW effect!” - gave room for formal, conceptual and material experimentation, and the result is an exhibition of works that are bold, multidimensional and often transgress the boundaries of classically conceived jewellery. Works presenting a conceptual approach to material, as well as objects balancing on the borderline between jewellery and contemporary art, also received special recognition from the jury.
The post-competition exhibition will be presented at the Legnica Art Gallery from April to July 2025, as the centrepiece of the Legnica SILVER Festival - one of the largest and oldest artistic jewellery festivals in Europe.
