Precious Plastic – Jewelry made from recycled plastic bags

1.11. 2019 – 30.11. 2019

Finland based Germany jewelry artist Wiebke Pandikow has worked on plastic bags since 2014 and has developed a technique to turn used plastic bags into jewelry art with the help of a clothes iron and a soldering iron. This process happens by hand from start to finish, thus being very much grounded in the diligence and patience of traditional craftwork. The pieces shown are predominantly this year's production.

In a world where plastic is at the same time invaluable, yet worthless and – understandably – even detested, this exhibition re-evaluates the material in the context of jewelry and art while questioning the meaning of preciousness. Even plastic bags can become precious through the time, skill and patience invested in turning them into something different, something new.

The exhibits hide behind their beauty a material that can carry a heavy ecological weight. Ultimately, they speak of the possibilities of a discarded material, a chance to be turned into something precious from something worthless.