Below is an overview of Objectspace and Aotearoa's relationship with Munich around the discipline of contemporary jewellery, and the extensive Aotearoa activity taking place this year during Schmuck and Munich Jewellery Week 2025.

If you're joining us in Munich, an evolving calendar of key Aotearoa moments is linked here, and we'd love to stay in touch – submit your contacts here to join our 'Munich in March' group chat.

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The Background

The New Zealand contemporary jewellery community and Creative New Zealand have for over two decades fostered a relationship with Munich as an important European centre for the field.

Since 2018 Objectspace has managed this work on behalf of CNZ including supporting New Zealand jewellers selected for the major competition exhibitions Schmuck and Talente held in March of every year at the Internationale Handwerksmesse. Objectspace also fosters key relationships with jewellers, curators and institutions, and invites international guests to Aotearoa.

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Schmuck 2025

Four Aotearoa jewellers have been accepted into Schmuck 2025: Fran Allison, Peter Deckers, Moniek Schrijer and Sarah Walker-Holt. Our warm congratulations to them for this great accolade.

Schmuck and Talente opens at the Internationale Handwerksmesse, Messe München, Halle B1, from 9.30am on Wednesday 12 March, and runs through to 16 March.

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Warwick Freeman at Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum 

2025 is a milestone year for our relationship with Munich, with Warwick Freeman’s survey exhibition Hook Hand Heart Star opening at the prestigious Die Neue Sammlung, accompanied by a monograph published by arnoldsche Art Publishers. Objectspace is the Aotearoa New Zealand partner for this exhibition and publication, and we have been working on the project directly for three years.

Warwick Freeman: Hook Hand Heart Star will open from 7pm on Friday 14 March at Die Neue Sammlung, Barer Str. 40, and runs through to 15  June, after which it will travel to Aotearoa. Read more here. 

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Munich Jewellery Week 2025 Projects: Neke Moa, Stevei Houkāmau, Sofia Tekela-Smith and Moniek Schrijer

As a result of Marina Elenskaya’s visit to Aotearoa, hosted by Objectspace in 2024, Aotearoa jewellers Neke Moa, Stevei Houkāmau, Sofia Tekela-Smith and Moniek Schrijer will be part of Munich Jewellery Week at different venues, supported by Creative New Zealand, MJW and Objectspace. Dates, addresses and details of this activity is included in our Munich in March calendar here.

Moa, Houkāmau and Tekela-Smith will take part in a series of events/activations throughout Munich Jewellery Week:

KOHĀ Ceremony at Museum Fünf Kontinente
3pm, Wednesday 12 March

KOHĀ Moana at Eisbach wave
3pm, Thursday 13 March

KOHĀ Kōrero at MJW HQ: Lost Weekend
10am, Saturday 15 March

Moniek Schrijer has a solo exhibition at Museum Mineralogia München, A Hologram of a Diamond, which is open to visit from 8 March to April. Key events are:

Opening: A Hologram of a Diamond
5pm, Friday 14 March

Moniek Schrijer Meet & Greet
12.30pm, Saturday 15 March

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Munich Jewellery Week Paper 2025

Objectspace's Zoe Black and Victoria McAdam are guest editing the Munich Jewellery Week Paper published by Current Obsession around the week of activity. The editorial content is shaped around the concept of koha and the activity taking place in Munich, and features Warwick Freeman, Stevei Houkāmau, Neke Moa, Rowan Panther, Alan Preston and Sofia Tekela-Smith.

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In addition to projects Objectspace is directly involved in, there are other projects being led by Aotearoa jewellers and cultural institutions, and a large contingent of New Zealanders are travelling to Munich to take part in and attend events and exhibitions in Munich in March. Ka rawe!

Again, if you're joining us in Munich...

• A calendar of key Aotearoa moments is linked here: Munich in March_NZ key events_Objectspace (Google Sheet). This will continue to be updated.
• Submit your details here to stay in touch: Welcome to the Objectspace 'Munich in March Group Chat' (Mondays Form)