Alchemy and jewellery as activities are similar in that they involve a combination of material practice and abstract conceptualisation. The symposium explores how this dual aspect is reflected in both alchemists’ and jewellers’ work and these activities’ immediate and long-term cultural, social, and philosophical impact.
April 3, 2023
Royal College of Art, Lecture Theatre 1, Frayling BuildingKensington Gore London SW7 2EU United Kingdom
Over the course of the symposium, we will be hearing from academic historians, museologists, and practicing jewellers based in Europe or North America, each of whom has a professional research interest that either encompasses, or relates to, an aspect of alchemy or jewellery. They will be describing personal programmes of study, which typically involve material experimentation alongside collections and library research, as well as reflecting on why their work provides important insights on historical and contemporary material praxis and perceptions.
| 10:00 | Doors Open | ||
| 10:30 | Welcome | Peter Oakley | Royal College of Art [UK] |
| 10:45 | Alchemy & Jewellery | Peter Oakley | Royal College of Art [UK] |
| 11.15 | “I was iron, I am copper, I will be gold”: art, experiments, and environmental alchemy | Tina Asmussen & Donna Bilak | Ruhr University Bochum [Germany] New York University [US] |
| 11.45 | BREAK | ||
| 12.00 | Distillation: early modern material engagements | Tillmann Taape | Herzog August Bibliothek [Germany] |
| 12.30 | Speakers Panel and Q&A | Donna, Peter, Tillmann, & Tina. | |
| 13:00 | LUNCH | ||
| 14:00 | Blowing Silversmiths, Miniature Furnaces, and Economic Fire | Thijs Hagendijk | Utrecht University [The Netherlands] |
| 14:30 | Silver nanoparticles on glass – unveiling historical recipes | Márcia Vilarigues | NOVA [Lisbon, Portugal] |
| 15:00 | BREAK | ||
| 15:15 | Ornament: Design: Translation | Tianna Helena Uchacz | Texas A&M University [US] |
| 15:45 | Reflections on Gold & Mercury – alchemical substances, environmental scourges. | Donna Bilak | New York University [US] |
| 16:15 | Speakers Panel and Q&A | Donna, Márcia, Tianna, & Thijs. | |
| 16:45 | Closing Remarks | Peter Oakley | Royal College of Art [UK] |
| 17:00 | END | ||
Active Matter 