Spring 2009 Exhibition
February 18th to April 26th, 2009
First and Second Floor Galleries:
Challenging the Châtelaine is an extensive international overview of the present diversity of a
unique genre of jewelry design—the châtelaine. The exhibition includes works by over seventy
artists from Europe, North and South America, Australia and
Japan, and was conceived by Helen W. Drutt English. A
catalogue signing with the curator and regional artists will be
held on February 18, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m., with a concurrent
public opening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The origin of the French word châtelaine comes from the Middle
Ages and meant the mistress of the castle. One of her typical
features was a key ring she wore around the waist. The word
was then adopted into the English language with the same
meaning. In the 19th century châtelaine also came to mean a
pendant worn on a belt. During this period, the chatelaine
symbolized power as a means of managing property and its
keeper had access to what lay behind locked doors and the
authority to access it. Today it has evolved from this traditional
function to become an emblem of the wearer. For this exhibition
the key has become symbolic as a “key” to the personality of the
subject chosen.
For the exhibition, invited artists were free to decide on the type of chatelaine they wished to
make and to whom it was dedicated. The personalities used to inspire the pieces in the exhibition
varied widely and the role models chosen represent differing relationships to the artists, ranging
from fervent admiration to biting sarcasm. The most popular figures were fellow visual artists,
writers, singers, actors, and designers. Other figures include politicians, royalty, scientists,
culinary artists, entrepreneurs, engineers or family members. The diverse range of role models
includes Eva Peron, John James Audubon, Leonard Cohen, Leonardo da Vinci, Julia Child,
Claude Monet, and Cinderella, among many others.
 With a role model at their starting point,
the artists invited to participate have
interpreted this expressive symbol in a
wide variety of ways. For some of the
artists it is not worn on the belt at all,
but rather has been interpreted as a
brooch, earrings or as a free standing
sculptural form. Stretching the
conventions of jewelry design, the works range from traditionally worn pieces out of conventional
materials to montages of readymade elements such as pens, spoons, razors and toys. Alongside
metal, the artists also employed wood, clay, fabric, Plexiglas, photographs, dough and even
medications.
Since originating at the Designmuseo, Finland, Challening the Châtelaine has traveled throughout
Europe, incuding Lalounis Jewelry Museum, Athens. Greece, Design Museum, Gent, Belgium,
Stedelijk Museum's, Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, and Kunsterhaus, Vienna, Austria. The
Philadelphia Art Alliance is the only venue hosting the exhibition in the United States.
Image 1: Tone Vigeland, Witch, 2006; Silver; 28 x 7 cm. Courtesy of the artist
Image 2: Valeria Hasse & Marcela Muniz, Urban Rastra, 2006; Found materials, old coins, crystal, clay beads, alpaca, wire, 90 x 13 x 4 cm
Challenging the Châtelaine Exhibition Highlights:
Lucy Sarneel, The Netherlands
Role Model: Homeless People
 Unlike other artists in the exhibition, Lucy
Sarneel chose the homeless as the
inspiration of her chatelaine. For this
piece, Sarneel made a simple “element
house” of pieces of zinc plate that can be
assembled and taken apart, a poetic
amulet for the homeless in the spirit of
arte povera. Sarneel states “It is intended to be a decoration and a support for people who are
forced to leave their homes or who are looking for a safe place to live. This little house can be
with them wherever they go.”
 Sarneel studied at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy Amsterdam Netherlands and the Stadsakademie
Maastricht Netherlands and has taught extensively, including the Gerrit Rietveld Academy
Amsterdam Netherlands, Haute Ecole des Arts, Geneva, Switzerland, and Royal College of Arts.
London, UK. Recent exhibitions include: De keuze van Schiedam, Stedelijk Museum, Schiedam;
Normad Room, Centro Cultural Belem, Lisboa; Solo exhibition, Galleri HNOSS, Konstepidemin,
Goteberg; Solo-exhibition Gallery Tactile Geneva, Switzerland; Schmuck 2004 IHM Munich,
Germany; Solo-exhibition Gallery Marzee Nijmegen, Netherlands; Valuables Museum of Craft &
Folk Art San Francisco, CA; Rings Gallery Funaki Melbourne, Australia; and Dutch Diversity,
Lesley Craze Gallery, London, UK.
Doug Bucci, USA
Role Model: Frederik Banting, Charles Best, Don Tompkins
 Aware of the decisive role of insulin in his everyday life,
Doug Bucci pays homage to Frederik Banting and
Charles Best, who developed insulin in the 1920s. He is
also grateful to Don Tompkins—a diabetic artist—who
designed amedal in honor of Best and Banting in the
1970s. Tompkin’s example encouraged Buuci to analyse
his illness with the means of art. Bucci chatelaine is an
elegant red “Lilly” case containing a syringe and two
spare needles.
Douglas Bucci received a M.F.A. from Tyler School of Art/Temple University in Philadelphia, PA
and is currently teaching full time at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia as well as being a
CAD/CAM/RP consultant and designer for several national companies. Bucci has had recent
exhibitions at: Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland, OH;
Alea Gallery, Barcelona, Spain; The Tromso Kunstforening, Tromso, Norway; Nordnorsk
Kunstnersentrum, Svolaer; FestspilleneI Nordnorge, Hartad; Electrum Gallery, London, UK; and
Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco, CA.
Margit Hart, Austria
Role Model: Elfriede Jelinek
 Elfriede Jelinek is an Austrian feminist playwright and novelist
whose work is multi-faceted and considered highly controversial.
It has been by turns praised and condemned by leading literary
critics. Likewise, her political activism evokes divergent and often
heated reactions. Despite the public controversy surrounding her
work, Jelinek has won many distinguished prizes, among them
are the Georg Büchner Prize in 1998; the Mülheim Dramatists
Prize in 2002 and 2004; the Franz Kafka Prize in 2004; and the
Nobel Prize in Literature, also in 2004. Margit Hart chose
primitive materials including horse mane plaits and found metal
forged into plates, referencing not only the traditional use of the châtelaine by women but
Germanic symbols of power and defiance.
Margit Hart began as an apprentice before undertaking degrees in Vienna and USA and embarking on exhibitions in 1988. She has shown in USA, Europe and Japan and her work is in
public collections in Austria. Margit received a M.F.A. from Parsons School of Design, State
University New York. Recent exhibitions include: Die Sprache der Dinge, Theodor-Zink Museum,
Kaiserslautern; Blue, Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge, MA; Osterreichische Schmuckkkunst, Gallerie
Slavik, Wien, Austria; L’Or, bijoux d. Europe, Creation contmeporaine, Cite de l’Or, Saint Amand
Montrond; Turning Point, Schmuck Aus Osterreich Zur Jahrtausendwende, Millennium Galleries,
Scheffield, UK; and Gioielleria Contemporanea in Europa, Oratorio Si San Rocco, Padova, Italy.
For more information about the Philadelphia Art Alliance Exhibitions Program, contact Melissa Caldwell at 215-545-4302 or mcaldwell@philartalliance.org.
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission Fee:
$5 for adults
$3 for students and seniors
Pay what you wish on Fridays.
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