Annamária Mikulíková: Ephemera

The exhibition presents a selection of jewellery and applied art from a Spiš-based product designer who is a respected figure in contemporary design. Her work art explores ecological dimensions and experiments with materials and techniques. The ephemerality of products emerges as a significant element in the artist’s recent work, a sense which is heightened by the use of volatile materials.

The title of the exhibition, Ephemera, reflects on an organism with brief life cycles, metaphorically exploring transience, synergy and the evanescent nature of material, time and existence. The project is presented as part of the Profiles/Spiš Artists dramaturgical cycle of exhibitions.

The use of natural elements in the work of Annamária Mikulíková takes on a symbolic level with a compelling message. Pollen as a symbol of achieving a balance in nature and in ecosystems, the ashes of invasive plants reflecting their pernicious effect on the natural biotope, and plant seeds interpreted as treasured heirlooms that preserve family inheritances and traditions. The artist’s sophisticated works develop in a heterogenous fashion, in particular through the use of unorthodox materials (glass, metal, leather, soap, bioplastic and others) and the application of experimental techniques. The ephemerality and malleability of the materials are merged into the resulting product – jewellery pieces or objects which bear within
themselves a deeper message.

The Gallery of Spiš Artists acquired seven of the artist’s applied artworks through a donation. The first work to be acquired was a set of earrings inspired by nature with an abstract motif (Sorel, 2012, earrings, UU 1864). Other works which later entered the Gallery’s collection draw attention to societal ills such as superficiality and our tendency to devalue the true purpose of objects and place undeserved significance on other undeserved meanings (Gourman, 2017, brooch from a set, UU 2122). The final acquisition was a series of five biodegradable jewellery pieces: 3D printed rings. The combination of soluble bioplastic with the natural material of pollen grain probes the ephemerality and volatility of materials, examining the fragility of their matter and that of human existence (100 % Pure Nature 1. – 5., 2021, rings, UU 2414 – 2418).

Ecological issues are becoming increasingly prevalent and are appearing more frequently and more urgently in the work of artists. A more sensitive approach and the reconciliation of humankind and nature are an achievable path towards ameliorating the undesired impacts of environmental change.

Mgr. Kamila Paceková, project curator

Author profile

Annamária Mikulíková (*1984) studied from 2002 to 2008 product design at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. She works primarily in the fields of industrial and applied design. In her jewellery and object art she examines ecological themes and issues of sustainability, testing the material potential of the media with which she works. Presented under the artist’s own brand of NATIF, her minimalist jewellery is characterised by its elegance and timeless quality. She is the holder of prestigious awards for product design from both in Slovakia and abroad. The artist’s work is represented in the Collection of the Gallery of Spiš Artists, the Slovak National Gallery and the Tatra Gallery in Poprad. She lives and works in Stará
Ľubovňa.