Prize for Global Research 2021

‘precious people’ was awarded by the province of Antwerp with the Prize of Global Research.
I know I’ve posted this message already a few times, but the meaning of the work always gets new layers for me, so I want to share this new version with you.
And I am finally ready to announce the presale of the silver and wooden boats.

I created this piece out of powerlessness. How can I, as an individual, make a difference in a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude? I translated activism and involvement into the language of jewellery. After all, people like to look at anything that is beautiful. The refugee situation is not: Europe carries out illegal pushbacks and deprives vulnerable people of their human rights. And this happens even on the open sea. Looking away from such horror is therefore an easy way out.
Through this piece I try to combine beauty and horror. So people don’t look away from it at first glance, but reconsider the situation. The sometimes loaded words from media are removed and the stones have become the language. To name a few aspects: they are unique, precious, but at the same time traded and taken away from the place where long ago their genesis began. I try to make refugees shine by placing them in a different light.
This work is a protest. A protest against institutions and media who partly decide how we look upon refugees.
Now the work got awarded, it feels weird to accept a monetary prize for it.
I hesitated first to accept it, but then decided to take the opportunity to try and make a difference.

I’ll make an edition of 15 silver boats, as that is the amount of boats I can get out of that 1kg of silver I’ve got from the Silver Festival.
The proceeds from the silver will all go to local organizations that try to improve the living conditions for people in refugee shelters.
All 15 boats will be filled with 301 unique recycled precious stones, so non of them will be exactly the same.
If you are interested in ordering one of these 15 pieces or the wooden pieces, you can sign up here:
Here is a video of all the students who were awarded yesterday.

+There are no comments

Add yours