Galeria Reverso presents the collective exhibition of Portuguese contemporary jewellery Up Till Here, until 18 October.

Up Till Here proposes a reflection on contemporary jewellery in Portugal. After celebrating its twentieth anniversary with several exhibitions and lectures (an annual project from 2018 where I collaborated), Reverso faces the shadows of artistic jewellery and the demands and limitations imposed by law on its production and marketing. For this reason, there will be no gold or silver in this exhibition, nor – perhaps – in the future of contemporary jewellery as an artistic practice. This is the feasible present now revealed, a turning point in a story that will surely continue, but in new ways.

Curated by Paula Crespo – the gallery’s curator – and Carolina Quintela – a young jeweller who has been working as a curator – the exhibition brings together works by 15 Portuguese artists (and a Colombian artist living in Portugal), with different backgrounds and ages (I’m also part of this exhibition with two collar-poems).

Although not all the pieces were produced for this exhibition, and despite a large number of participants, the visual harmony of the whole set is the first highlight, associated with the careful presentation, ever so typical of Paula Crespo.

Then, we notice some imbalance in the quality of the pieces presented, which is challenging. We find museum-worth efforts that are already part of the history of contemporary Portuguese jewellery – such as Paula Crespo’s circular necklaces and Filomeno Pereira de Sousa’s Sopa de Legumes necklace – pieces that, albeit interesting, are not particularly significant in all the authors’ career. The presence of consecrated artists and young graduates is also important, with Alejandra Ferrer’s delicate design pieces standing out in this group.

Manuel Vilhena’s intense red necklace in the exhibition, Pedro Sequeira’s jewelry-house, Patrícia Domingues’ and Carlos Silva’s black jewels, and Leonor Hipólito’s prayerful hands are other works that deserve to be highlighted, in a naturally subjective choice. We invite you to see them live and perhaps try them out.

By Marta Costa Reis