A little while ago now.
When this giant block arrived on my doorstep it was a bit daunting to open. Primarily because you can’t flip through the damn thing. You have to ‘move’ the pages. It’s great having my work in this book together with over 1000 other people, but I keep on forgetting which page I’ve already seen and the names of all the artists. The number doesn’t sound like much but it looks like lot in a 13.5kg book. Are there really 1000 of us? Actually there must be much more because there are many who do not appear.
It’s the most ambitious book project I’ve seen in the arts and I’m glad that Andy Lim went to the extreme (or overboard) for such a little known genre.
The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellery Makers
Cologne: Darling Publications, 2009
Technical data: 2 Volume Hardcover in the Lim-slipcase, 13,5 Kilo, 2400 pages
Price: from 560 €
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This 13,5 Kilo, 2400 pages Opus Maximus was released 14 March 2009 during the International Schmuck 2009 Fair in Munich and already nicknamed by many jewellers as “the Messiah” as it was eagerly awaited since a year and was expected to bring great relief in the sleepless nights of jewellers from 54 nations.
At the Compendium Party during the release, over 1000 visitors could catch a glance at the most rumoured and gossiped about publication of 2008, and managed to empty over 180 bottles with alcoholic content within a couple of hours (at daytime!).
132 lucky jewellers could carry their boxed copies home (although quite many of them somehow underestimated the physical weight of 14 kilos!). During the waiting time for the rest of the edition to be bound (by hand!) it is expected that the nickname “Messiah” will be still valid, although a big difference is that The Compendium did show up.
The Compendium will show on a never done before scale and manner what is happening in 2008 in the entire worldwide Contemporary Jewellery scene.
Jewellery Artists from 54 nations has been nominated by Jewellery Artists.
The 1st purpose of Andy Lim, the publisher and editor, is to try to establish Contemporary Jewellery as an equally respected art form in the Contemporary Art and to create a platform, not to be neglected, which will be reached already by its sheer volume and power of 1044 artists, united in one single publication. It is not only a book about 1000+ jewellers, it is a book created by 1000+ jewellers, as every jeweller have the full freedom of a 2-page presentation a person. The alphabetical order of presentation secures a non hierarchical and non political ranking. The publishers 2nd purpose is to discover beyond the already wellknown and established artists (ca. 300) interesting positions of contemporary jewellery. And who are better „talent scouts“ than the artists themselves? Who are more aware than anybody else of what collegues are doing? They are at the cradle of the work process. And as 3rd, but not least goal: to present an astonishing bibliophile book in an unsurpassed quality of the highest standards in the Art of Bookmaking.
- 2 Volume Hardcover in the Lim-slipcase with separate pull out system.
- Bound in the Final Edition of the stunning Techno Fabric.
- Print and handbinding entirely in Germany, as always with Darling Publications.
- A stunning book where you discover everything your heart desires and covets.
- An already legendary reference book, and that´s why a MUST for libraries, museums, galleries, design lovers and the serious art and book collectors.
The Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim is co-editor.
