Returning to Venice as part of Venice Design Week, the third edition of I DON’T SHINE, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY presents an international showcase dedicated to contemporary jewelry as a medium of expression, critique, and social commentary.
From 5th to 26th October 2025, the evocative Sala Wonder Q at the Querini Stampalia Foundation will host over fifty artworks by international artists, carefully selected and curated by Eleonora Varotto | HOOROON in partnership with Lisa Balasso. The event is promoted by the Cultural Association Arte Design Venezia.
This year’s edition delves into the deepest needs of human beings, viewed as a living and evolving matter that can be reflected in the structure of jewelry. The pieces are not mere ornaments; they are instruments that give voice to urgent and universal issues; from gender-based violence to mental health, from political corruption to the possibility of renewal after hardship. The exhibited jewels do not simply shine: they challenge, provoke, and inspire reflection. Through innovative materials and unconventional forms of expression, they transform the body into a space for critical thought and symbolic action. The partnership with Libreria Giovanni by Edizioni Tlon, which also manages the bookshop at the Querini Stampalia Foundation, enriches the project by providing the public with a space for cultural dialogue and research. Thanks to this collaboration, the exhibition is hosted in the evocative Sala Wonder Q of the Foundation, a symbolic setting in the heart of Venice.
„The contemporary jewel does not ask to be admired for its beauty, but to be listened to for what it has to say. It is a device that, in sync with our body, speaks about our time,”– comments Eleonora Varotto, curator of the exhibition.
The exhibition also aims to engage the public with contemporary jewelry, demonstrating its capacity to convey powerful and universal messages. Visitors will have the opportunity to encounter radical artworks that transform the wearer into a space for critical reflection and symbolic protest.
The meeting with the designers, set for Sunday 12th of October, at 3PM, will be an occasion of dialogue with the authors of the artworks, offering the public an opportunity to find themselves participating in the discussion of the thoughts and process that took the artist to create a piece.
The jewels
Sherry Cordova (USA) transforms marine microfauna into sustainable jewelry that reflects the fragility and harmony of the oceans. Amanda Tartik (Brazil) combines seashells, pearls, and metals into artworks that intertwine nature, memory, and human impact. Folpo-Filippo Marani (Italy) creates experimental jewelry, such as the brooch Sempreverde, blending gold and natural elements into living, versatile objects. Mariko Kumon (Spain) transforms memories and intercultural experiences into painted bronze jewelry, exploring resilience, vulnerability, and human relationships. Verónica Pérez (Chile) crafts wearable micro-sculptures inspired by the Atacama Desert, melting silver, gold, and diamonds into pieces that evoke light, landscapes, and constellations.
Focusing on the personal self: May Gañán (Spain) uses organic forms, such as cloth, to create jewelry that breaks standard formats and invites personal storytelling. Amanda Paige (USA) produces sculptural jewelry with ancient techniques, transforming materials into symbols of resilience and rebirth. Luisa M. Florez Herran (USA/Colombia) addresses mental health with meditative and protective jewels, balancing strength and delicacy. Elledi Gioielli di Laura Di Leo (Italy) combines metals, wires, and oxidation into poetic pieces where the sacred heart, thread, and circle symbolize emotions, growth, and transformation. Silvana Bohorquez (Bolivia) explores love, inner strength, and invisible ties through 18K gold, embroidery, and natural gemstones.
Exploring identity and social issues: Julian Graeve (Germany) examines masculinity and identity through wooden masks with silver inserts, navigating the line between protection and vulnerability. Sophie Lowe (UK) creates sculptural necklaces in aluminum and silver, addressing forms, textures, and resistance against violence toward women. Mariana Gorga (Italy) transforms handwritten strokes into symbolic jewelry, tackling psychological violence and resilience through brooches and poetic necklaces.
Using innovative materials and sustainable approaches: Hennie Broers (Netherlands) elevates jewelry to art through perforation techniques and creative material combinations, revealing beauty even in scrap. Marisia Lukaszewski (Australia) crafts jewelry from scrap materials, inspired by the environment, humor, and the philosophy of Arte Povera, emphasizing sustainability and handcrafting. Jemma Slade (UK) combines recycled gold, ethical gemstones, and horns to create pieces reflecting ties between men, nature, and memory. Marcela Dias (Brazil) produces wearable sculptures in silver and Japanese seashells, exploring perfection, egocentrism, and resilience through a multicultural lens. Sheila Westera (Switzerland) creates sculptural jewels from metal, stones, and found materials, blending irony, critique, and poetic narration, as does Nina Lima (Brazil).
The project is managed by Eleonora Varotto|HOOROON in partnership with Lisa Balasso and Arte Design Venezia Associazione Culturale.
ARTE DESIGN VENEZIA
The Cultural Association promotes art, design, and the development of the artistic heritage of Venice. It manages the art and design exhibitions and offers guided tours and various cultural activities that contribute to the creation of a national and international net of people, artists and artisans. Arte e Design Venezia promotes multiple events of art and design, such as the Venice Design Week and takes part in other design weeks throughout the year.
Venice Design Week has the Patronage of Ministero della Cultura, Regione Veneto e dalla Città di Venezia, camera di commercio di Venezia e Rovigo, ADI Associazione per il Disegno Industriale Delegazione Veneto e Trentino Alto Adige, Associazione Gioiello Contemporaneo, IUAV Istituto Universitario di Architettura Venezia, Italia Patria della Bellezza, Città in Festa and Grandi Eventi Venezia.
VDW is organised by the cultural association Arte e Design Venezia in collaboration with Direzione generale Musei del Veneto, Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia, IUAV, Camera di commercio Venezia Rovigo, San Servolo Servizi Srl, Ve.La spa, Consulate of Switzerland in Venice.
Technical partners: Each exhibition has specific technical partners. Below are the main ones for VDW. Luce in Veneto, Ceresio Arredamenti, Ideolux, Rubelli, Zava, Valdo Spumanti, d33, Hooroon, Tlon, La Fabbrica del Vedere, Art Studio Lo Verso, WERNS, Zafferano, Multiforme, audiodimension.io.
The network: Venice Design Week collaborates not only with Italian Design Weeks and national partners, but also with World Design Weeks and high-profile international partners, offering participating brands and designers numerous opportunities for visibility. The Special Awards and selections involve collaborations with festivals, industry portals, trade magazines, art and design galleries, universities and companies. Raizes Gallery, European Product Design Award, Venice Fashion Week, Arte Laguna Prize, Czech Republic Design Week, Blickfang, Curioz, MORE ART – Xiamen Cultural Development, Romanian Jewelry Week, Roma Jewelry Week, Bryna Pomp, Creativity Oggetti, 16metriquadri, My Day By Day Gallery, Lost in Jewelry Magazine, Brussels Jewellery Week, AdOC Asociacion, Preziosa Magazine, Revista Atelierul, Alkimia, Jewellery History Today.
Hospitality partners: San Servolo Servizi srl, Ca’ Nigra Laguna Resort, Hotel La Fenice et Des Artistes, Hotel Saturnia International, Hotel Nani Mocenigo Palace, Hotel Heureka Venezia, Ca’ Sagredo Hotel, NH Collection Venezia Grand Hotel Palazzo dei Dogi, Radisson Collection Hotel Palazzo Nani Venice, Hotel Palazzo Barocci, Aqua Palace Hotel, Hotel Giorgione, Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal, AC Hotel Venezia, Ca’ di Dio Vretreats, All’Angelo Art Hotel, Combo Venezia, Hotel alle Guglie, Hotel Palazzo Keller.
