I was devastated!
Two months of hard work gone – literally.
It’s two days before my relaunch exhibition ‘Transforming Treasures’, and I get a call from the Gallery saying they hadn’t received my work.
…and that the tracking code I sent them came up blank.
Various calls & speed peddling-cycling-trips to the post office later and the message was that the package I’d sent wasn’t registered and that it would take 4-6 weeks to reclaim it.
My exhibition was lost in transition.
The next 24 hours were tense – I mean two months hard work might be lost – and if it didn’t turn up we’d have to cancel the exhibition, and then what would I do?
I don’t think I’ve worked this hard on an exhibition since my final show at the Royal College of Art 12 years ago. It meant so much to me to be able to show the world that I was back, silversmithing – doing what I love again.
The thoughts that went through my mind wasn’t so much about the exhibition maybe not happening, as it was about the hours I’d put into it. It felt such a shame not to be able to share the result, to have worked hard and then suddenly not have anything to show for it. Even though I’d enjoyed the process immensely – being back in the workshop – the last couple of weeks had been very stressful, and the thought of loosing the opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the finishing line: the opening… well, let’s just say it felt devastating.
But luckily, as if by a stroke of magic, the package turned up the next morning. Relief all around!
And even though we were all a bit behind with everything, the exhibition opened on time – and it all looked magnificent.
Maybe the lesson here is to enjoy the moments we have, as they occur?
Here are a few images of the exhibition just before the opening.
All in all I’m really pleased with how it turned out, package scares and everything. And if you haven’t seen it yet and plan on going to Copenhagen for Easter, it’s open till the 4th April.
At
Gallery Montan, Bredgade 10, 1260 Copenhagen
If you’re interested in commissioning me to Transform some of your silver – click here to find out more.
And I even got a mention in the next days Børsen newspaper. And for all of you who can’t read Danish, here’s the short version:
“Recycled silver
Old silver has been given new life at the exhibition “Transforming Treasures – old silver, new form” at Gallery Montan.
Sidsel Dorph-Jensen has embraced the idea of recycling and sustainability and created a whole new body of silverware work.
Orphaned silver found in secondhand shops, a milk jug from the darkness of a cupboard and a beaker from an auktion is elegantly transformed by the silversmith into contemporary art.
Sidsel has been on a treasure hunt through the danish cultural history and found old silverware that has become redundant, thing with outdated function or style and turned them into objects worth enjoying everyday.
Photo: “How May I Serve You?” Serving spoon.”