Heimat

Monika Brugger and her work represent a creative tradition of Conceptual jewellery in France – which is otherwise scarcely encountered there at all. This book shows the development undergone by her work since its beginnings in 1992.

Pierre-Damien Huyghe has this to say about it: “… the salient feature of Monika Brugger’s works is, first of all, not even a particular link between form and content but rather idea, category, linguistic tradition. Her art is in a certain sense Conceptual. It constitutes the question of the relationship between the word as convention and the thing made …” Anatomical fragments, particles of still vivid memories become foliage and polished forms that are transmuted via gold and silver into delicate, tongue-in-cheek pieces of jewellery. In an approach worthy of sculpture, Brugger adroitly uses photographs, texts, boxes and articles of clothing in constructing her own distinctive “installations”, presenting her objects in a size and on a scale commensurate with the space used. Her works are owned by museums and private collections. A native of Germany, Monika Brugger has been living in France for thirty years. She teaches in Limoges, Strasbourg and Paris. Monika Brugger has completely redefined jewellery in her work. These are actually installations, which require an entirely different approach to jewellery. She occupies a unique position in Europe.