This genre originated in Western Europe in the middle of the last century. Breaking stereotypes, artists combined jewelry art, sculpture, fashion and design. Followers of this trend create jewelry from car upholstery, polyethylene film, recycled plastic and other unusual materials.

"This is the first exhibition of conceptual jewelry art in Kazakhstan, which brought together 35 artists from 7 countries, which we are very proud of. Conceptual jewelry art differs from classical jewelry in that the value of jewelry is not in the material, but in the author's idea. The exhibition brought together authors who work with unusual materials, from shampoo bottles to silicone implants. I tried to show the founders of this trend. These are mastodons, we have Ted Noten, who at one time designed a crown for Queen Maxima. He has been working with conceptual jewelry art since the 60-70s of the last century. I wanted to show Kazakhstanis that it is possible to work in this direction as well," said co-curator of the exhibition, artist Zhanna Asanova.

Zhanna Asanova not only brought together the works of artists from different countries on one platform, but also presented her own creations. The author has been fond of conceptual jewelry art for over 9 years. She exhibited jewelry made of metal locks and recycled textiles. In them, Zhanna Asanova reflects on the power of the female voice and the nature of human relationships.

"I presented works made of ropes that I made while in Pakistan. Local artisans recycle textiles and then use these ropes. I had the idea that jewelry could be created from them. Basically, I work with textiles, felt. I also use metal zippers, colored and semi-precious stones. I raise various topics: gender equality, identity, women's rights and freedoms, ecology," said co-curator of the exhibition, artist Zhanna Asanova.

The exhibition includes more than 130 works by contemporary artists from seven countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Austria, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Pakistan. Among the exhibits are the creations of one of the pillars of conceptual jewelry art - Ted Noten. His 1998 Mercedes Benz project is mentioned by many researchers as an example of conceptual work. The author suggests that a luxury car, being a symbol of status that many people dream of, is no less precious than diamonds, and therefore can also be used as raw material for creating jewelry. The artist cut out fragments from the body of the Mercedes Benz car. Only by adding a clasp on the back, the author suggests wearing thin steel sheets as jewelry.

Austrian artist Anna Ries used a real silicone breast implant in her work, prompting viewers to reflect on the nature of beauty and femininity. The author reflects on what and why we are used to considering jewelry, how this concept has changed over time and what influence gender norms have on this.

Curator of the exhibition Zhanna Asanova invited domestic masters to experiment and reflect in the style of conceptual jewelry art. Master from Karaganda Ilya Kazakov presented jewelry created from electrical parts.

"Since childhood, I have been used to seeing various electrical parts at home, since my father works in this field. These details have always surrounded me, and for me they have a special value. In my opinion, you can make beauty and elegant jewelry from them. Basically, I worked in traditional materials: bone, stone, leather. Thanks to this exhibition, I had the opportunity to experiment," said Ilya Kazakov.

Kazakhstani artist Tabigat Kuzhanbaev was inspired by the image of the Saka queen Tomiris. He presented a hypertrophied form of the necklace that the great warrior would wear. The author created the decoration from plastic and parts of the washing machine.

"This could all have been thrown into a landfill. And I used it, felt this material. I wanted to show that Tomiris was not just a warrior, a queen, but, first of all, a woman. I fantasized that she put on something cosmic as jewelry. When I am asked what the work is made of, I jokingly say that it is made of a fragment of a spaceship," said Tabigat Kuzhanbaev.

The exhibition in the capital's art space Forte Kulanshi Art Space will last until October 12, 2024. Address: 8/1 Dostyk Street.