Interview for TV Toruń https://tvtorun.pl/31537/bizuteryjne-basnie
June 24, 2023, District Museum in Toruń, Old Town Hall, Old Town Square, Toruń, Poland
Midsummer Night, exhibition “Fairy Tales Written in Silver” – opening
“Can there be a better night for storytelling than Midsummer Eve? I think we are all hungry for such magic, because reality is difficult, it is painful. However, jewelry has always symbolized something: status, it was a form of an amulet, an intangible bond with someone, from whom it was received. Its colorful stones, craftsmanship and finesse of workmanship, as well as its inaccessibility have always stimulated the imagination. They made us dream that these gems once belonged to princesses, they were credited with magical power and extraordinary stories – therefore today I would like to tell you fairy tales and stories that will inspire you to let your imagination run wild. I think that even though jewelry has now disappeared from everyday life, when we see beautiful objects, they arouse a spark of childish dreams in us. Vivienne Becker, famous art historian , once said that in ancient times, goldsmiths were viewed almost as priests because they had almost direct contact with the gods through their inspired work. I think this is a beautiful concept, especially close to me, because it takes me at least 1 month to a year to create one work. For me, jewelry is a miniature symbol and message of the person who wears it. It informs about the person’s sensitivity and what he or she considers beautiful. That says a lot. At the same time, for me jewelry is one of the most important manifestations of art and human skills enclosed in one tiny object. It requires not only the constant development of man as a creator and artist who has something important to say to the world, but also of man as a craftsman, because it does not forgive the slightest technical mistakes. In addition, it has a user factor that is not present in painting or sculpture, and who expects great durability and comfort from a work of art. The value of this enormous work, which is done with your own hands, mind and soul, is even greater when it is made of unique, beautiful and expensive materials. Such an expense is also a risk and sacrifice for every artist-jeweler, which, in my opinion, somehow touches the “sacrum”, i.e. sacrificing oneself for something more important than oneself – the act of creation. Then, in my eyes, an unquestionable treasure of humanity is created, representing what is considered the essence of beauty in a given era. I would be very pleased if someone who has my work felt that it is not just an object, but a real work of art that was created thanks to hard work, conscious dedication, deep emotions and has a real story behind the very fact of its creation ” – a fragment of the speech opening the exhibition of goldsmith’s art by Iwona Tamborska.
The moment has come when I would like to once again officially thank everyone for coming to my opening at the District Museum in Toruń. Your presence on this day means a lot to me, because it is a moment that highlights a very important era in my life. I don’t know what will come after it, but this Midsummer’s Eve was certainly some kind of a mile stone – a marking of what had been achieved over 13 years and paying respect to it. To be honest, I think it was one of the most important moments in my life, so I will remember very clearly all of you who came to celebrate with me on this day. I know that you came from very far away, from the other end of the country, sometimes from beyond its borders, and I am very grateful for that. Especially also for the fact that, despite the fact that there were quite a lot of us and it was very hot at times, you stayed to listen to my stories. Statistics say that there were 50 people on the day of the opening. There were 11,560 people visiting the exhibition during its 1.5 month of availability. Thank you very much again. I would especially like to thank representatives of the “Polskie Media” and Mrs. Barbara Cieślak “Jubilerzy.info” as media representatives who also later reviewed the exhibition.
Photo report from the opening, photo: Krzysztof Deczyński
I would also like to thank once again the director Ms. Mierzejewska and director Ms. Nierzwicka for hosting my exhibition in this wonderful Museum and for all the help in bringing it to life. The District Museum in Toruń, the Old Town Hall, is an extraordinary place inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and in its interior you can admire works by Jan Matejko, Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, Jacek Malczewski, Zdzisław Beksiński, and until August 15, 2023, you could also admire mine. Toruń itself is a magical city, like made of gingerbread, where there is something to discover at every turn.
I would also like to thank you very much for the wonderful accommodation in the Museum guest rooms and the Molus apartment. A particularly nice gesture was the presence of “Buskowianka” mineral water (my city of birth) in the room.
Together with many museum employees (including Mr. Stenka, Ms. Kroplewska, Mr. Kurkowski) and, above all, with the tireless technical department (led by Mr. Paweł Jabłoński), we worked hard for 2 weeks to build an exhibition allowing for immersion in the world of “Fairy Tales Written with Silver“. Thank you all very much for your commitment and help. Without it the exhibition would not look so beautiful.
