Current Obsession is a magazine and platform dedicated to contemporary adornment. CO works to expand and to empower the meaning of what adornment is, currently, by gathering key personal and cultural signifiers — jewellery, fashion artefacts, digital means of self-enhancement, body modifications, make-up and drag art — at the core of its practice.
Looking at the urgent world matters through the lens of jewellery — as one of the most fundamental art forms accompanying human existence — CO raises questions of identity, community, heritage, belonging, and decolonisation of knowledge about jewellery.
Appreciated for its experimental approach and unconventional style, CO showcases new ways of presenting and experiencing jewellery, collaborates with exceptional designers and artists, and develops curatorial projects with renowned brands and cultural institutions.
CO connects diverse audiences inside and outside of the field of jewellery and amplifies the voices of the makers. The knowledge and expertise of its team, and their desire to continue to search for what is current, have established CO as a trailblazer in contemporary jewellery and beyond, making it the go-to platform for an international and cross-disciplinary network of designers, artists and initiatives.
POSTAL AND VISITING ADDRESS
CURRENT OBSESSION
Rokin 102
1012 KZ Amsterdam
The Netherlands
INTERNSHIP
Current Obsession offers internship positions throughout the year for periods of 3 months. To apply for an internship with us, please send your motivation letter, C.V. and portfolio to: magazine@current-obsession.com with subject line: INTERNSHIP
Activities
Hailing from the Netherlands, CO’s publishing, curating and facilitating activities span a variety of communities and art genres, though they always relate back to jewellery. CO’s ongoing projects include curation and organisation of the biennial OBSESSED! Jewellery Festival, which takes place in various cities across the Netherlands and Belgium (upcoming edition of OBSESSED! will take place in November 2023). CO is also responsible for communication and facilitation of Munich Jewellery Week — the most significant annual event on the contemporary jewellery’s calendar, that boasts a growing international community of independent artist-run exhibitions.
In 2018-2019 CO developed and produced the official newsprint publication for New York City Jewelry Week. In 2020 CO was invited to develop content for Parcours Bijoux — a contemporary jewellery triennial in Paris, and begun its two-year collaboration with Stockholm Craft Week, allowing CO an opportunity to branch out to the neighbouring fields: ceramics, glass, textile.
CO team is often invited to consult for brands and institutions, and to give lectures and workshops internationally, in San Diego State University, Rhode Island School of Design, Temple University in Philadelphia, Konstfack University in Stockholm, Royal College of Art in London, Estonian Art Academy in Tallinn, Gerrit Rietveld Academy and Sandberg Isntituut in Amsterdam, among others.
In 2019 CO launched the Social Club Membership Programme, which grants access to exclusive journalistic content and events – online, in print and in real life – and provides the CO community with new ways to show their support.
Annelisse Pfeifer, Roanne Sanchez-Watts, Rebecca Schena, Ray Zheng
WRITERS
Makiko Akiyama, Liesbeth den Besten, Maurits de Bruijn, Hou Chien Cheng, Aaron Patrick Decker, Clementine Edwards, Gossip Frau, Anna Greer, Adam Grinovich, Jing He, Geralda Jurriaans-Helle, Colombe d’Humieres, Chris van der Kaap, Frank Koolen, Xue Jing Lim, Case Miller & Joris Lindhout, Doris Maninger, Kamal Nassif, Kellie Riggs, Mariah Tuttle, Julia Walter, Huib Haye van der Werf, Anna-Lena Werner, Veronika Muráriková, Rebecca Schena, Ashley Khirea Wahba
Marcel van Kan, Sagel and Krzykowski, Evelien Bracke, DEPOT BASEL: Rebekka Kiesewetter, Matylda Krzykowski, Laura Pregger, Elias Schäfer, Moritz Walther, IOIA, Anneleen Swillen
WEBSITE COVER IMAGE
Current Obsession
STRATEGY
2021+ overall professionalisation strategy developed with BlueYard, Geert Boogaard and Margot Gerené
2017 professionalisation coaching by Roel van Herpt & Victoria Meniakina of Agency Agency
We work with Leanna Thomas of Nalé PR for Munich Jewellery Week
PIECE BY PIECE
Noon Passama
Atelier Ted Noten
Boris de Beijer & Lonneke van der Palen
Jasper Griepink & Janneke Raaphorst
Volker Atrops
SUPPORT & SPECIAL THANKS (INPO)
Martijn van Ooststroom, Cathelijne Engelkes, Alessandra Marocco, Marcel van Kan, Jantje Fleischhut, Nhat-Vu Dang and Dang-Vu Dang, Willemijn de Wit, Niki van Rooij, Noon Passama, Ruudt Peters, Liesbeth den Besten, Elena Rizzi, Chiaralice Rizzi, Karin De Buysere, René Darmont, Paul Derrez, Ted Noten, Dr. Petra Hölscher, Lissie Kieser, Sylvia Katzwinkel & 84Ghz, Rob Koudijs, Marta Costas Reyes, Rut-Malin Baklund, Sofia Björkman, Bella Neyman, JB Jones, Ashley Khirea Wahba, Pravu Mazumdar, Herman Hermsen, Benedikt Fischer, Stefan Auberg, Fred Mesritz, Fleur Mesritz, Renée van Niekerk, Tatiana Elenskaya, Ismail Ahmic, Ulrike Jurklies.
Stockists
You can shop CURRENT OBSESSION publications and merch directly on our webshop.
CURRENT OBSESSION magazine is distributed internationally by Antenne Books London and supplied to selected independent retailers worldwide: contemporary jewellery galleries, independent bookshops, concept stores, international museum shops and other locations of culture and consumption.
