SLOVENIAN JEWELLERY WEEK 2026 = substance / reimagined
In its fifth anniversary edition, Slovenian Jewellery Week (SIJW 2026) once again comprehensively connects artistic practice, top-level craftsmanship, research and international exchange in the field of contemporary jewellery design. The festival takes place in Ljubljana, Izola, Slovenj Gradec, Kranj, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenska Bistrica, Vrhnika, and Miren. SIJW 2026 is marked by a central theme that designers have explored through the collections on display: Substance / Reimagined.
Substance is not just a raw material, but a process and a carrier of deep meaning that, through transformation, becomes an articulated authorial statement. Transformation is understood as a moment of change—a point at which material changes its state, function, and interpretation through physical intervention. This constant interplay between substance and form acts as a driving force for our creativity, encouraging us to express our visions in ways that transcend the physical and address the symbolic and digital worlds. In this intertwining, matter and transformation become fundamental building blocks of artistic creation, reflecting the spirit of the times and encouraging new ways of thinking.
The main program of SIJW 2026, which includes three exhibitions and brings together 152 artists from 38 countries, will take place:
- March 26 to April 18, 2026, Ljubljana
- March 17 to April 11, 2026, Izola
- March 26 to May 3, 2026, Slovenj Gradec
SUBSTANCE / REIMAGINED, LJUBLJANA
Center Rog, Trubarjeva 72, Ljubljana
Date: March 26–April 18, 2026
Official opening: Friday, March 27, 2026, at 7 p.m.
We present 110 selected artists from Slovenia and abroad who explore contemporary interpretations of materiality and transformation. Their works have been evaluated by an international jury of experts, which will award prizes for outstanding artistic achievements to the best ones.
The designers explore the complex relationship between the physical, symbolic, and digital worlds and examine how material acts as an active interlocutor. The exhibition highlights how raw material is transformed through artistic vision into miniature sculptures that bear traces of time, care, and presence. The Substance / Reimagined exhibition is a unique opportunity to reflect on the role of jewelry in times of rapid social change and its profound impact on our identity.
The Rog Center is the main venue for the Substance / Reimagined exhibition and the entire SIJW 2026 program.
SIJW 2026 expert jury: Martina Lončar (chair), Petra Bole, Tanja Pak, Olga Košica, Nichka Marobin (Italy), Giò Carbone (Italy), and Arata Fuchi (Japan)
Curators: Olga Košica, Dalija Sega, Katarina Šporar Češarek, Nina Podobnikar, Metka Mikuletič, Rok Marinšek
Exhibition design: Katarina Čakš and Isabela Karlin Čoh
Exhibition coordinator (Center Rog): Anja Radovič
Selected exhibitors:
Alain Roggeman (Belgium), Aleksandra Atanasovski (Slovenia), Aleksandra Dedić (Serbia), Andreia Gabriela Popescu (Romania), Anna Paparella (Italy), Anže Mrak (Slovenia), Arijana Gadžijev (Slovenia), Ayla Tur (Germany), Chu-Hsien Huang (Taiwan), Dalija Sega (Slovenia), Daye Kim (South Korea / United Kingdom), Dodo Paruznik (Austria), Hanna Kivelä (Finland), Heather Blake (United Kingdom), Isil Ozcam (Turkey), Itamar Harari & Alessandro Boscolo (Italy), Jana Seliškar (Slovenia), Jeanne-Sophie Aas (France / Norway), Jung Ki Min (USA), Katarina Ekart (Slovenia), Katja Marolt (Slovenia), Konstanze Prechtl (Austria), Lee Minseo (South Korea), Luca Virág Boncz (Hungary), Luis Acosta (Argentina / Netherlands), Maja Licul (Slovenia), Mariana von Atzingen Gorga (Italy / Brazil), Michael Berger (Germany), Mojca Gazič (Slovenia), Nadezhda Elkina (Poland), Nataša Druškovič (Slovenia), Nataša Grandovec (Slovenia), Nico Delaide (Belgium), Nina Podobnikar (Slovenia), Olja Todosijević (Serbia), Park Junghee (South Korea), Patrícia Harsány (Hungary), Qian-Qian Xing (Taiwan), Renzhi Guo (China / United Kingdom), Rikke Lunnemann (Faroe Islands / Denmark), Robin Deriaz (Switzerland), Sara Mermal (Slovenia), Shane / Shi Yan (United Kingdom), Srečko Molk (Slovenia), Tanja Podbevšek (Slovenia), Teresa Milheiro (Portugal), Weixin Huang (United Kingdom), Yuka Ishikawa (Japan), Yuxin Song (China), Ziqi Yuan (China)
Guests (institutions and collectives):
JOYEROS ARGENTINOS (Argentina)
Adriana Gomez, Ana Lavarello, Carmen Romero, Cecilia Fergero, Gabriela Nirino (Argentina/USA), Graciela Lescano, Hebe Argentieri, Laura Giusti, Laura Leyt, Leda Daverio, Lena Echelle, Patricia Mogni, Paula Isola, Sol Flores, and Vanesa Perez Cepeda (Argentina)
ULUPUH – Croatian Association of Fine Arts (Croatia)
Andreja Krušelj, Božica Petković, Dunja Naerlović, Ines Delač, Julijana Rodić Ozimec, Lazer Rok Lumezi, Luka Petrinjak, Marijana Pišanić, Petra Podnarčuk, Sabina Kolonić, Smiljka Franjić, Sonja Turner Fegić, and Zlatko Odrčić (Croatia); Benjamin Kavazović (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Carlos Ignacio Bellante (Argentina/Croatia); Christoph Steidl Porenta (Slovenia)
PIN – Portuguese Association of Contemporary Jewelry (Portugal)
Carlos Silva, Miguel Matos, Paola Castro, Paula Zerbes (Portugal); Kaia Ansip (Estonia/Portugal); Caio Mahin and Viviane Kiritani (Brazil/Portugal)
PREZIOSA YOUNG by LAO – Le Arti Orafe, School of Contemporary Jewelry, Florence (Italy)
Hasan Kurd (Palestine/Germany), Maria Camera-Smith (USA), Xi Li (United Kingdom), Xinyi Chen (United Kingdom), and YeJin Choi (South Korea)
ROJW (Romania)
Alexandrina Remescu-Simo, Andreea Radu, David Sandu, Marie Jianu, and Romana Mateiaș (Romania) and Huda Mahdi (Iraq/Romania)
Birmingham School of Jewelry (United Kingdom)
BA program: Bowen Song, Xiaoyan Chen, and Chenyang Zhao (China/United Kingdom)
MA program: Xiaoxue Zhang, Cho Nam Tsang (Hong Kong (SAR, China)/United Kingdom), and Hao Zheng (China/United Kingdom)
YOUNG CREATORS (Slovenia)
Korina Kotnik, Rogaška Slatina School Centre (Slovenia); Neža Mia Andlović, Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana (Slovenia); Tia Štefančič, Faculty of Education, University of Primorska in Koper (Slovenia)
International guest exhibition SERENITY, IZOLA
DRAT Gallery, Ljubljanska ulica 20, Izola
Date: March 17 – April 11, 2026
Exhibition opening with artists and guests: Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Curator: Luis Acosta
Exhibition organization and design: Sandra Kocjančič and Tina Cotič
Curator Luis Acosta has designed the international guest exhibition “Serenity,” featuring 32 international designers. The exhibition will be on display at the Drat Gallery in Izola from March 28 to April 18, 2026. The project offers a contemplative view of jewelry as a medium of inner balance and emotional resonance.
Serenity in contemporary jewelry is represented by clean lines, organic shapes, and a restrained color palette that invites introspection rather than visual dominance. Carefully selected materials establish a subtle dialogue between the ethereal and the tangible, with each piece telling a story of sustainable thinking and the search for peace in a complex world. This international traveling exhibition brings together global designers and their innovative approaches to art, transforming jewelry into a space for activating emotions and beauty.
International designers:
Akane Hayashi (Japan), Alejandra Bahamón (Colombia), Alexandra Conde (Mexico), Alicia Salcedo Gonzálvez (Spain), Amalgama (Giorgia Tasca) (Italy/USA), Andrea Barrera (Colombia), Angela Gentile (Italy), Anne Earls Boylan (United Kingdom), Beatriz Yebaile Gargano (Spain), Caron Fitzpatrick (Netherlands), Cecilia Mattera (Argentina), Clara Moranta Martí (Spain), Claudia Isabel Alban Andrioli (Colombia), FLUXIS (Mariangela & Alberto) (Italy), Gabriela Sierra (Mexico), Graciela Di Mónaco (Argentina), Lamia Saab (Sweden), Laura Volpi (Italy), Lidia Godfrid (Argentina), Lily Kanellopoulou (Greece), Luisa Mucedola (Italy), Marija Radosavljević (Serbia), May Gañan (Spain), Özlem Böge (Turkey), Pamela Suárez Iturrieta (Chile), Patrizia Casamirra (Italy), Pauletta Brooks (USA), Rosanna Raljević Ceglar (Slovenia), Susanne Elstner (Germany), Tiziana Chiara (Italy), Vera Blixen (Spain), Ye-jee LEE (South Korea)
FIVE YEARS OF BRILLIANCE, SLOVENJ GRADEC
Carinthian Regional Museum, Glavni trg 24, Slovenj Gradec
Date: March 26–May 3, 2026
Opening: Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 6 p.m.
Curators: Aleksandra Čas, Sara Mermal
The exhibition “Five Years of Brilliance” will be on display at the Carinthian Regional Museum from March 26 to May 3, 2026. The exhibition presents a selection of award winners from previous editions of Slovenian Jewelry Week and highlights the artistic excellence, continuity of creation, and long-term influence of the award winners on the Slovenian contemporary jewelry scene.
The project emphasizes the key role of the festival in promoting new talent and recognizing established masters. Through selected works that have marked the past years, the exhibition builds a sustainable professional platform in the Slovenian space. It is a distinctly sustainable review that emphasizes the cultural heritage and future of Slovenian jewelry design.
Exhibitors:
Anže Mrak (Best Young Designer 2023)
Martina Lončar (Best Slovenian Designer 2023)
Huberto Široka (Special Achievement Award 2023)
Kristina Drnovšek (Best Young Designer 2024)
Sanda Vidmar (Best Slovenian Designer 2024)
Christoph Steidl Porenta (Special Achievement Award 2024)
Sara Mermal (Best Young Designer 2025)
Katja Marolt (Best Slovenian Designer 2025)
Zdenka Šamec (Special Achievement Award 2025)
Slovenian Jewelry Week is essentially a cultural and educational project, which in 2026 will include a rich accompanying program: expert lectures, interactive workshops, artist residencies, and guided tours throughout the country. We place special emphasis on education, knowledge exchange, and the promotion of young talents and students who bring fresh, sustainable ideas.
Slovenian Jewelry Week is not just a gathering of creators—it is a celebration of culture, innovation, and diversity that speaks to the world around us through material transformation.
We invite you to join us in experiencing the wealth of sensations, meanings, and stories that contemporary jewelry evokes!
5th SLOVENIAN JEWELRY WEEK 2026
26 March – 18 April 2026
5th SLOVENIAN JEWELRY WEEK 2026
26 March – 18 April 2026
