The exhibition is an international project dedicated to contemporary jewellery, a field where objects carry ideas, and materials become a language of their own.
Venice, September 15th 2026 – For its fourth edition, I DON’T SHINE, I have something to say returns to Venice as part of Venice Design Week, reaffirming its exploration of contemporary jewelry as a form of expression, critical thought and cultural dialogue. From 9th to 25th October 2026, the Wonder Q Room at the Querini Stampalia Foundation will host a selection of works by international contemporary jewelry artists, curated by Eleonora Varotto | HOOROON in partnership with Lisa Balasso and promoted by the Cultural Association Arte Design Venezia.
I DON’T SHINE, I have something to say What makes you stop in front of a jewel? The exhibition at Venice Design Week 2026
Dates: 9th – 25th October 2026
Location: Wonder Q Room – Libreria Giovanni by Edizioni Tlon
Venue: Querini Stampalia Foundation, Santa Maria Formosa, Castello 5252
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)
Meeting with the Designers: Sunday, 11th October 2026 10.00 AM
Entry: Free
The exhibition starts from a simple question: what makes someone stop in front of a jewel?
Contemporary jewelry can be radical, conceptual, political, intimate, ironic or deeply personal; yet its language is not always immediately accessible to an audience encountering it for the first time. I DON’T SHINE, I have something to say approaches this distance by placing meaning and material at the heart of the exhibition. Here, the jewel does not rely on preciousness or conventional beauty to attract attention: it can offer a thought, raise a question, tell a story, or give form to something difficult to express through words. A jewel that has something to say creates a reason to look closer.
„A jewel is never just an object. It’s a way of saying something you couldn’t say otherwise and that’s exactly why I curate this way, every time. I want people to stop, look closer, and recognise that contemporary jewelry isn’t difficult or distant: it simply hasn’t been given the chance to speak. Once it does, people don’t just look at it. They want to wear it, and make it their own,” says curator Eleonora Varotto.
Materials themselves become carriers of meaning: RCA cables reworked into a necklace, a cactus skeleton bound with silver, discarded tools brazed into a brooch, sea stones wrapped in copper and leather. Discarded objects and unconventional materials are recontextualised, challenging established ideas of preciousness and asking what – and who – is considered valuable.
The twenty artists in this edition approach the human experience from remarkably different perspectives, investigating identity, the body, memory, value, vulnerability and the relationship between humans and matter.
Participating artists
Cristina Saldaña (The Netherlands), Max Fröderberg (Sweden), Shane/Yan Shi (United Kingdom), Luba Sokolovsky (Belgium), Brigitte Engel (France), Elisa Mattonai (Italy), Serena Dendievel (France), Kinga Olah (United Kingdom), Sarah Isabel Juárez Sánchez (México), Andrea Barrera (Colombia), Jaeseob Shin (Republic of Korea), Nina Faivre (France), Sara Genin (France), Helen Hae Young Kwon (United States), Olha Protsenko (Ukraine), Yuan-Chi Lee (Taiwan), Andrea Ruiz (México), Sara Ramirez (Ecuador), Samira Kazemi (Iran), Franziska Reich (Germany).
The project is curated 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.
LIBRERIA GIOVANNI
Curated by Edizioni Tlon, Libreria Giovanni combines the museum bookshop with an independent library. Located within the Fondazione Querini Stampalia, it offers books, objects and a programme of cultural events. Conceived as an extension of the museum experience, it is a dynamic and inclusive space dedicated to reflection, dialogue and active citizenship.
THE NETWORK
The exhibition’s international network continues to expand through collaborations with galleries, cultural organisations and specialised platforms. Among the partners involved are Thereza Pedrosa Gallery, Galleria Carlo Lucidi, Pistachios Gallery, Alice Floriano Gallery, Revista Atelierul and AdOC Association, alongside the wider network of institutions, galleries, publications and design organisations connected to Venice Design Week.
