Sponge ring "Illuminare": A piece of jewelry with depth - made to immortalize memories and honour the wearer and the person who gave the ring its name.
The "Leibniz Ring Hannover 2019" award was presented by the Hanover Press Club for the 22nd time. This year, the expert jury for Germany's most highly endowed competition for jewelry designers was under the patronage of Eske Nannen, Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board of the Kunsthalle Emden.
This year's winners of the competition once again come from J. Fischer & Sohn KG! Alena Jakunina Uthe and Nico Starke beat 36 competitors from all over Germany with their unusual piece of jewelry made of apricot-colored gold and were awarded 3,500 euros in prize money and much praise yesterday (08.10.2019) by Press Club boss Jürgen Köster. The jury's vote for the "Sponge Ring Illuminare" was unanimous.
Large, eye-catching pieces of jewelry are often associated with characteristics such as "heavy", "massive" or "unwearable". But "large" does not always have to mean "heavy". The ring's outstanding lightness comes from its delicately crafted surface structure, which is reminiscent of a sponge. At the same time, it symbolizes the vulnerability and sensitivity of our ecosystem.
The 585/- apricot gold ring is made entirely by hand. The many fine pores give it this special lightness and supposed fragility. During the day, the ring shines with tiny set diamonds (52 in number, corresponding to Dr. Boetius' age in 2019), but the wow effect only comes when day turns to night. The ring surprises with an unexpected play of colors of a special kind!
In order to fully grasp the beauty of this ring, it must be illuminated with a black light lamp. Then the delicately crafted, wavy lines of fluoride and ceramic inside become visible. The finest sand from Maspalomas flashes through the pores of the sea sponge. Fluorescent color accents on the surface of the ring also make it shine in the most beautiful shades of blue in the light.
The inside of the ring is decorated with a small engraved submarine, Dr. Boetius' name and the date of the award ceremony. With their work, the goldsmiths also commemorate Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and his plans for a submarine as well as the many dives that the prizewinner has already experienced in one.
Man and the sea - a very special relationship since time immemorial: Dr. Boetius raves in various interviews about the experience in the deep sea when the lights in the submarine went out and the "fireworks", caused by glowing microorganisms, became visible in the darkness of the depths.
The jury's reasons for selecting the winning ring
"The two goldsmiths have intensively studied the work of the marine biologist and have created an expressive piece of jewelry with great passion, which surprises with further effects through black light. The ring in the shape of a sea sponge is given a special lightness by the many fine pores. 52 diamonds set in apricot gold symbolize tiny microorganisms. The interplay of light between two sparkling diamonds and the blue deep-sea glow created by black light is fascinating. The inside is decorated with an engraved, nostalgic submarine. This is a reminder of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and his plans for a submarine. A ring full of creativity and inspiration. A real eye-catcher with a comprehensive reference to Antje Boetius."
22nd presentation of the LeibnizRingHannover to the prizewinner
On October 21, 2019, the 22nd LeibnizRingHannover award ceremony will take place at the Hannover-Congress-Centrum (HCC), where the ring will be presented to this year's laureate, Dr. Boetius. Around 400 invited guests will attend the ceremony.
The Board of Trustees, chaired by Lutz Marmor, Director General of Norddeutscher Rundfunk, with Jan Hofer, Chief Spokesman of ARD Tagesschau, Prof. Dr. Madjid Samii, Neurosurgeon and President of INI Hannover, Dr. Sabine Schormann, General Director of documenta in Kassel, and Dr. Wilhelm Krull, Secretary General of the Volkswagen Foundation, justified its decision for Antje Boetius as follows:
"Climate catastrophe", "environmental pollution", "saving the oceans" are topics that are all interrelated. They concern or should concern the world's population. With her protest, 16-year-old Swede Greta Thunberg has mobilized young people for these issues. Young people are demonstrating - Prof. Antje Boetius is taking action! Antje Boetius is an outstanding scientist, researcher and explorer. Her area of expertise is the oceans and the seabed, of which only 0.01% has been explored. She seeks and finds solutions that can ensure that our environment remains livable. Her successful work was honored with the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation in 2009 and last year with the German Environmental Award. Antje Boetius is a likeable scientist who is determined to go her own successful way and make discoveries that can help us all. She has an excellent understanding of how to present her scientific findings to a public far beyond the specialist audience in a very understandable and communicative way, and thus plays a decisive role in shaping many important debates. She is a Madame Marie Curie of the sea!"
Reaction from Wolfgang Fischer, owner of J. Fischer & Sohn KG
Wolfgang Fischer, Managing Director of J. Fischer & Sohn KG: "We at Fischer are very proud of our two goldsmiths, Alena Jakunina Uthe and Nico Starke, and are delighted to be able to offer our employees such fertile ground for their creativity. The fact that they have received this coveted award for the second time in a row shows the high standard at which our goldsmiths design and manufacture rings."
Jury Goldsmith Competition LeibnizRingHannover 2019
Eske Nannen (patron of the Kunsthalle Emden) was joined by Andreas Bitter (Goldschmiede Bitter), Petra Marklein-Paas (Obermeisterin Gold-und Silberschmiede-Innung Hannover), Beate Nock (Chopard), Dr. Reinhard Spieler (Spengler Museum) and Dr. Sabine Wipl (Handwerkskammer Hannover).
About the Leibniz Ring Competition
The LeibnizRingHannover is awarded to individuals or institutions that have attracted attention through outstanding achievements or have made a special mark through their life's work. The award commemorates the polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), who came to Hanover in 1676 and worked here as a mathematician, politician and diplomat until his death. In 2018, the ring was awarded to the singer Klaus Meine (Scorpions).
