Tala Silver – Swedish Contemporary Artistic Silver and Goldsmithing

Tala Silver (Speak Silver), published in conjunction with Nutida Svenskt Silver’s 60th anniversary, gives us a glimpse of the member smiths’ practices, and places contemporary artistic silver and goldsmithing in a wider social, cultural and political context.

The book contains four essays, written by some of Sweden’s foremost experts and academics in the field. The essays deal with artistic silver and goldsmithing, as well as jewellery and corpus, from different perspectives – as vehicles for contemporary commentary and exploration, as craft from an art historical point of view, and, of course, as a livelihood.

The main part of the book is devoted to a presentation of Nutida’s member smiths – highly competent artists with exceptional craftmanship skills, evaluated and chosen by an experienced panel. Most of the member smiths are represented in Swedish museum collections. On these pages, the smiths introduce themselves and their practices through short presentations written for Tala Silver, along with new pictures of selected works.

In a time when the digital evolution fundamentally changes the way we relate to the things that surround us, artistic silver and goldsmithing has gained renewed relevance for its artistry, its craftsmanship, its materiality, and, last but not least, its usefulness. In their work, Nutida Svenskt Silver’s member smiths question, comment, explore, and play. Sometimes to make a point. Sometimes because it’s enjoyable. The results are unique objects that deserve their place in Sweden’s finest museums and galleries, but also wants – no, demands – to be used!

Welcome to explore the world of Swedish contemporary artistic silver and goldsmithing!

Nutida Svenskt Silver is a non-profit organisation that promotes the development of artistic silver and goldsmithing in Sweden, and has done so for 60 year.