BIO

BIO

 Anneleen Swillen is a postdoctoral researcher and tutor at PXL-MAD School of Arts and University of Hasselt (BE). Since 2015, she has been an active member of MAD-Research. Her background in Object & Jewellery design as well as Curatorial Studies provided the foundations for her PhD in arts, which she defended in 2019. For her doctoral research, she explored jewellery through performative installations, active archives and interdisciplinary publications. She has curated exhibitions, conferences and debates (inter)nationally, and is regularly invited as a speaker, writer, and jury member. Her work has been exhibited worldwide and included in various publications. 

Swillen explores interactions between humans, artefacts and technologies such as A.I. in a (post-)digital culture through more-than-human collaboration and co-creation. She researches how artefacts are made, presented and experienced in our digital culture. One of her main interests concerns the roles and impact of A.I. within contemporary craft practices, and more specifically jewellery. She questions whether what it means to be human is shifting through A.I. and how that might influence interactions with tools and artefacts. Mostly, Swillen is interested in experimenting with machine learning (ML) to foster new insights for crafts and cultivate new discourses on A.I. Together with Greg Scheirlinckx, a sound engineer and programmer, Swillen founded Artificial Intelligems to explore ML as a mediating technology between humans and non-humans. By co-engineering jewellery with self-learning algorithms, she aims to create new types of jewellery within the phygital realm that challenge perspectives on human-centred design, materiality, value, or authorship. Thereby, she explores how to embody transformative technologies and, in particular, A.I., which, despite being ubiquitous, for many people seems to work in invisible and mysterious ways. Through collaborative projects, experimental presentations, and creative writing, Swillen speculates about hybrid jewellery and bodies, malleability through digital technologies, and the roles of artists in a technocentric society, to ultimately envision what posthuman crafts can be.

C.V.

RESEARCH

RESEARCH
 Since 2020: Postdoctoral Researcher Object & Jewellery, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt and University of Hasselt (BE)

 2015 – 2019: PhD in the Arts "THIS PLAY an artistic research on the interactions BETWEEN JEWELLERY AND PRESENTATION." PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt and University of Hasselt

EDUCATION

since 2023: Tutor Let's Get Phygital, in collab with the London College of Fashion (Mala Siamptani), Estonia Academy of the Arts (Darja Popolitova) and PXL- MAD School of Arts, Hasselt.
 2019: Guest Lecturer Master of Research Sint-Lucas Antwerp, 5.04.2019
 Since 2015: Tutor Jewellery Design, Gold - and Silversmithing, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt.

I teach a variety of BA and MA courses, including topics and domains such as contemporary jewellery, more-than-human co-creation in a post-digital culture, curation and presentation, digital adornment, AI, their/ourstories of jewellery, and artistic research. Additionally, I guide students with presenting their work through exhibitions, writing, and photography. I am a supervisor for BA, MA and PhD theses.

STUDIES

2014 – 2015: Postgraduate Curatorial Studies, KASK School of Arts, Gent   
 2013 – 2014: Master Object & Jewellery Design, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt 
  2010 – 2013: Bachelor Jewellery Design, Gold - and Silversmithing, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt (including an internship at Gallery Marzee in 2013). 

EXHIBITIONS

 
 UPCOMING Kunst.Vormen, PXL-MAD School of Arts (November 2024)

30 Years Object & Jewellery, PXL-MAD School of Arts (September 2024) 

reFLEXion, Brousse, Hasselt (June 2024) 

Madrugada. Jewellery and the politics of hope, Lisbon Jewellery Biennial, 27/06 – 22/09/2024, Palace of the Counts of Calheta, Lissabon, PT. 

Visions, Ventures & Valuables, 28/02 - 2/03/2024, Munich Jewellery Week 2024, Neureutherstraße 26, 80799 Munich (DE). 

Wie Wat Vindt Heeft Slecht Gezocht. 24 - 26/11/2023, David Gotlib, Antwerp (BE).

Polyphonous 2023: J is for Jewellery. 9 - 12/03/2023, Munich Jewellery Week (DE). 

Auralogie. 1.11.2021 – 7.11.2021, Regina Mundi klooster, Genk (BE).

Let’s Change, Don’t Change. 1.07 - 18.07.2021, Begijnhofsite, Hasselt (BE).

Fe Steel Prize 2020. 24 Jan. 2020 – 10 Oct. 2021, Hochschule Wismar, Saimaa University of Applied Sciences and PXL-MAD School of Arts. Kulturhistorisches Museum Rostock, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Hanau, Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim im Reuchlinhaus, and Stadtgeschichtliches Museum der Hansestadt Wismar (DE).

21 grams. 7 Nov. 2018 – 12 Jan. 2020, Hangzhou Contemporary International Jewelry and Metalwork Triennial, Crafts Museum CAA, Hangzhou City; Galerie Handwerk, München (DE); Legnica International Jewellery Festival Silver; Gallery of Art, Legnica (PL); BeCraft - World Crafts Council (WCC-BF), Mons (BE); CODA museum, Apeldoorn (NL).

In Touch. 7 – 11 Nov. 2018, Verein für Originalradierung, München (DE) and 23 – 26 May 2018, Society of North American Goldsmith’s 47th Annual Conference MADE: Makers Across Disciplines Engage Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront, Portland, Oregon (US).

From Walter to Diva. 5 – 6 May 2018, DIVA museum, Antwerp (BE).

From Walter to Valerie. 8 Feb. – 17 Mar. 2018, Valerie Traan Gallery, Antwerp (BE).

Without a Jewel. 2 Aug. – 2 Sept. 2017, Radiant Pavilion 2017, Melbourne City Library (AUS).

Swedes and Belgian Blues. 2 Sept. – 1 Oct. 2016, Gallery Four, Gothenburg (SE).

The best of 10 years Object & Jewellery/PXL-MAD School of Arts. 5 Febr. 16 - 6 Mar. 16, Fashion Museum Hasselt (BE).

Fifteen years of Jewelry. 3 Dec. 15 – 23 Jan. 16, galerie beyond, Antwerp (BE).

Looking for the in-between. 21 Nov. 15 - 6 Mar. 16, Toegepast 20, Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture, Hasselt (BE).

Transmission. 20 Oct. – 12 Dec. 2016, Studio 411 Galerie, Montpellier (FR).

David Huycke & students: best of 10 years MAD- Faculty. 4 Oct. 2015 – 17 Jan. 2016, Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus, Hanau (DE). 

Pheromone. 8 – 17 Jul. 2015, Ah-won gallery, Seoul (KR).

Talente 2015. 11 – 17 Mar. 2015, International Trade Fair for the Skilled Trades Munich (DE).

¨CONTAINERS in context. 4 Dec. 2014 – 24 Jan. 2015, galerie beyond, Antwerp (BE). (*solo) 

W/O – We are the next generation. 17 – 26 Oct. 2015, Week van het Ontwerpen, BUDAfabriek, Kortrijk (BE). 

Marzee Graduate Show. 17 Aug. – 26 Oct. 2014, Galerie Marzee, Nijmegen (NL).

Et Luxuria Sancta?  10 May – 8 Jun. 2014, curated by Ilse Roosens, Hospitaalkerk, Ninove (BE). 

 CURATION 

Organising and moderating Touching a Phygital World.  In conversation with Benjamin Mengistu Navet, Thomas Renwart and Michaela Armani on artistic practice, crafts and tactility in a digital age. 29 Oct. 22, Museum Texture, Kortrijk (BE).

Organising and moderating Artificial Intelligems Dreams + Talks with Tobias Rees, Marcus Du Sautoy, Alexandra Darby, Darja Popolitova, Dovile Bernadišiute, Lee Allen Kuczewski and the participating artists and designers. Online conference and screenings for Munich Jewellery Week 2021. 

Organising and moderating Passe-Partout on presenting contemporary crafts. 2 Apr. 2019, VAKlab Bokrijk and PXL-MAD, School of Arts, Hasselt (BE).

Organising and moderating Talk Show with Ruudt Peters & Anneleen Swillen. "An interactive, multi camera, online live-stream table exhibition conversation event featuring jewellery, objects, books, prints, materials and other things." 21 Nov. 2018, VAKlab Bokrijk and PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt (BE).

Organising and moderating Round Table #4: Performing Jewellery. 1 Jul. 2018, galerie beyond, Antwerp (BE).

Organising and moderating Social ‘media’ Club, in collab with Current Obsession Magazine, Munich Jewellery Week 2018, The Lovelace – A Hotel Happening, Munich (DE), 8.03.2018

Organising and moderating Round Table #3: Jewellery Interactions, in collab with galerie beyond, Antwerp, for Obsessed! Jewellery in the Netherlands, San Serriffe, Amsterdam (NL), 18.11.2017

Organising and moderating Round Table #2: Platforms for Jewellery, in collab with galerie beyond, Antwerp (BE), 23.04.2017

(co)-curation Exposé. 24 Jun. – 17 Sept. 2017, Musée du Bijou Contemporain-Espace Solidor, Cagnes-Sur-Mer (FR).

Organising and moderating Round Table #1: Screens for Jewellery. 26 Jan. 2017, galerie beyond, Antwerp (BE).

Organising and moderating A-Z night #3: Show me – The Art of presenting. 17 Oct. 2016, Cultuurplatform Design, Z33 House for Contemporary Art, House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture, Architectuurwijzer, PXL-MAD School of Arts, LUCA School of Arts, University of Hasselt, Villa Basta, Hasselt (BE).

(co)-curation Audio Guide. 5 – 28 Feb. 2016, No Performance Please (curatorial collective), The Image Generator, Extra City Kunsthal, Antwerp (BE).

(co)-curation Experience Ooga Booga. 19 Dec. 2015, in collab with Current Obsession, Studio 47, Amsterdam (NL).

(co)-curation No Performance Please. Concerning the impossibility of excluding performances. Tebeac curatorial collective. 24 – 28 Jun. 2015, These Things Take Time, Gent and 4 - 19 Jul. 2015, BUDA Arts Centre, Kortrijk (BE).

WRITINGS

 
Anneleen Swillen, Guus Vandeweerd & Ine Vanoeveren (16 May 2024): Breaking the fifth wall: on creating a sense of wonder with(in) mixed realities through XR performance, creative AI, and embodying virtual identities. An encounter in VRChat: Anneleen Swillen and Guus Vandeweerd in conversation with Ine Vanoeveren, International Journal of Performance Arts and Digital Media, DOI: 10.1080/14794713.2024.2348985. 

Swillen, Anneleen. “Munich insights: floating pedestals, malleable frames, and a cardboard island. A Glimpse into Ways of Exhibiting during Munich Jewellery Week 2024.” Art Jewelry Forum, 
 https://artjewelryforum.org/reviews/munich-insights-six-different-scenographies_auth-anneleen-swillen-natl-belgium_3-26-2024/

Jacobs, A., et al. (2024). Co-Designing Multispecies Speculations Through Biofuturing. Qualitative Inquiry, 0(0), DOI:  0.1177/10778004241231919 (co-author)

Modemuze. Artificial Intelligems: op zoek naar nieuwe benaderingen van sieraden met machine learning. Anneleen Swillen in gesprek met ChatGPT. https://www.modemuze.nl/blog 

Swillen, A. “Re-collecthings. Reflective explorations on social values of carrying personal objects.” ŠperkStret conference platform (online, 2022).

Swillen, Anneleen. THIS PLAY an artistic research on the interactions BETWEEN JEWELLERY AND PRESENTATION. 2019. University of Hasselt and PXL-MAD, School of Arts, Hasselt (BE), PhD dissertation. 

Swillen Anneleen. “#ifyoulikeit. Online presentation within contemporary jewellery practices.” Current Obsession magazine, 2019, pp. 11 – 19.

De Buysere, K. and Swillen, A. “Round Table group conversations: how to present contemporary art jewellery to engage and broaden audiences.” Findings, magazine of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery, issue 66, Spring 2018, pp. 13 – 14.

Lambeets, M. "Machteld Lambeets in conversation with Anneleen Swillen." Craft! Konstfack degree exhibition 2016, pp. 34 – 35.

Swillen, A. “On experience Ooga Booga.” Current Obsession magazine (online), 2015.

LECTURES

 LECTURES, TALKS, PANELS  

Panelist Let's Get Phygital, 14/05/2024, London College of Fashion, UK. 

Artificial Intelligems: exploring more-than-human co-creations in a digital culture, AR@K24 symposium: The Artist, The Ghost, and The Machine, 18/03/2024, Høyskolen Kristiania | Kristiania University College (NO). 

Artificial Intelligems: co-creating more-than-human adornment with machine learning, 6/03/2024, Sint Lucas Antwerp (BE). 

Panelist AI - Dood van de kunstenaar?! (AI - Death of the Artist?!) 24/06/2023, rekto:verso-redacteurs Arnout De Cleene en Hannelore Roth in gesprek met Mathijs Tratsaert, Anneleen Swillen, Marlies De Munck en Thomas Crombez, via: https://www.rektoverso.be/artikel/luidt-ai-de-dood-van-de-kunstenaar-in-bekijk-het-tv-debat (Dutch only). 

Panelist and speaker Let's Get Phygital, 30/11/2023, Estonia Academy of the Arts, Tallinn (EE).  

Artificial Intelligems: Co-creating More-Th­an-Human Adornment with Machine Learning, One Day About AI and Craft Practices, 24/11/2023, Konstfack, Stockholm (SE). 

Athens Metal Arts guild May Meeting - AI and the Arts, 16/05/2023, Athens (Georgia) and on Zoom. 

Artificial Intelligems, BAJ Podcast, 5/05/2023, Britisch Academy of Jewellery, via: https://baj.ac.uk/baj-podcast-artificial-intelligems/ 

Artificial Intelligems: co-creating posthuman adornment with machine learning. 27/04/2023, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt and 29/03/2023, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp.

The Artificial Intelligems research project, ¨Parsons School of Design, Paris, April 2023 (for Parsons students only).

Jeroen Peeters in conversation with Kristof van Gestel and Anneleen Swillen within the context of the publication 'And then it got legs. Notes on dance dramaturgy', MAD-research@lunch,  15 February 2023, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt (BE). 

'Wat is een goed juweel? Is er slechts één waarheid?' ('What is a good jewelry piece? Is there only one truth?'), Esther Doornbusch in conversation with Rene Van Tol, Steven Van der Veken, Anneleen Swillen and Nico Taeymans (in Dutch), 29 January 2023, Goudsmidmarktplaats Ontmoetingsdag, Diamond Bourse, Antwerp (BE). 

Swillen, Anneleen and Scheirlinckx, Greg. Cha(lle)nging adornment through artificial intelligence. A critical exploration of machine learning as co-creator in jewellery practice. Inhorgenta 2023, Munich (DE). 

Crafting Digital fashion. Presentation postdoc research on Jewellery Phenomena in the Phygital Age and participation in panel discussion with Marina Elenskaya, Sarah Mayer and Ted Noten, Sun. 11 Dec. 22, Design Museum Den Bosch (NL). 

Swillen, Anneleen. "Things that (don't) fit and other fringes. On Artificial Intelligent Jewellery, More-Than-Human Care-iers and other verschijnselen. A response inspired by Annemarie Mol's essay: Not Quite Clean. Trailing schoon and its resonances." DESIS PHILOSOPHY TALK #7.6 The Politics of Nature - A Conversation with Annemarie Mol, 24 May 22, Z33, Hasselt (BE). 

Swillen, Anneleen. “Embodying Artificial Intelligems, Ornamutations, and Ornamisms - A Glossary of emerging Jewellery Phenomena in the Phygital Age.” Schmucksymposium Haxthäuser Hof, 27 May 2022, Ingelheim Am Rein (DE).

Swillen, Anneleen. “Ways of researching jewellery between the soup and the potatoes. Or, how to perform a (post)doctoral research in the arts in 3600 seconds.” Research@Lunch, 24 Nov. 2021, PXL-MAD School of Arts, Hasselt (BE).

Swillen, Anneleen. “Artificial Intelligems.” 12th SAR International Conference on Artistic Research hosted by mdw – University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna in cooperation with the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, 8 Apr. 2021, online.

Swillen, Anneleen. “Virtual Presenting.” 13 Apr. 2020, British Academy of Jewelry Podcast.

Swillen, Anneleen. “A-Z night #3: Show me - The Art of presenting.” 17 Oct. 2017, Cultuurplatform Design, Z33 House for Contemporary Art, House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture, Architectuurwijzer, PXL-MAD School of Arts, LUCA School of Arts, University of Hasselt, Villa Basta, Hasselt (BE).

Swillen, Anneleen. “Reflective Scepticism-Critical presentation of research.” 25 May 2017, PhD seminar, The Cass University, London (UK).

Swillen, Anneleen. “MAD-talks.” Munich Jewellery Week 2016, conference Room Galerie Handwerk, München (DE).

PERFORMANCE 

Performing Ornamutations. Exploring spectatorship and user experience through acts of adornment, embodiment, personification and intra-active phygital impressions within mixed realities. In collab with Esther Verstreken, Guus Vandeweerd, Ine Vanoeveren, and Senneke Van de Wygaert. De Singel, Antwerp, 19th of April 2023; RITCS, Brussels, Thursday, 23rd of March, 2023 and PXL University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 11th of December, 2023. 

PUBLICATIONS

Derakhshifar, Katrin and Prechtl, Konstanze. "Interview with Anneleen Swillen of Artificial Intelligems." Not Only Decoration, 2024. 

Lippens, Dennis (2024) Dit is AI marketing. Ghent, Borgerhoff & Lamberigts, https://www.borgerhoff-lamberigts.be/owl-press/shop/boeken/dit-is-ai-marketing-2. 

Yan, Isabella. "AI Is Revolutionizing the Jewelry Industry." Rapaport Magazine, 2024, https://rapaport.com/magazine-article/ai-is-revolutionizing-the-jewelry-industry/. 

Visual and textual contribution for Ponton Magazine (OO), Oct. 22 

Let’s Change, Don’t Change. Z33 House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture, 2021.

Wu, Zhou; Zhenghong Wang and Peters, Ruudt. “21 grams.” China Academy of Arts Press, 2018, p. 11.

University of Applied Sciences, Technology, Business and Design. “Steel Prize 2020.” Wismar: Hochschule Wismar and Kolloquium Nordrhein-Westfalen, pp 38 – 39.

Fabrice, Jonas. “Anneleen Swillen, le bijou aux frontières du concept.” Modelab Paris, issue 6, Spring - Summer 2018, pp. 32 – 33.

Malev, Daniela. “To the point. Pin mechanisms and brooch back design.” Leipzig: Edition Winterwork, 2017, pp. 134 – 135, 138.

King, Kylie. “The Revolutionary Object.” Art Jewelry Forum, 2017, https://artjewelryforum.org/the-revolutionary-object.

Lignel, Benjamin. “EXPOSÉ.” Musée du Bijou Contemporain – Espace Solidor, Cagnes – Sur – Mer (FR), 2016.

Carré, Sebastien and Cassier, Marianne. Transmission. Montpellier: Studio 411, 2015.

Estrada, Nicolas. “New Necklaces: 400 designs in contemporary jewellery.” Barcelona: Promopress, 2016, p. 64.

Atkins, Lizzie. “Parades - Jewelry Takes to the Streets.” Shows and Tales. On Jewelry exhibition-making. Edited by Benjamin Lignel, Art Jewelry Forum, 2015, pp. 78 – 83.

Atkins, Lizzie. “International Graduate Show 2014.” Marzee Magazine 94, August– October 2014, p. 8.

KWINTESSENS. “Makers.” Kwintessens, 23 (3), 2014, p. 111.

De Schauvre, Christoph. “MAD about SCHMUCK.” Kwintessens, 23 (2), 2014, p.88.

Hermsen, Herman and Maas, Barbara. “Connecting Identities.” Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, 2012.

Zilvermuseum. Zilvertalenten 2014.  Antwerp: Zilvermuseum (= now DIVA museum), 2014. 

COLLAB

 
Swillen was invited to contribute to "De Collectieve Collectie", a project by artist Kristof Van Gestel which took place in Taxandriamuseum, Turnhout (2020) and Kunsthal Extra City, Antwerp (2021). She introduced jewellery techniques for the making of the objects, was responsible for the styling of the participants during the photoshoots for the publication, and helped with the selection and the presentation of the objects for the exhibition and workshop spaces. 

CONTACT

swillenanneleen(at)gmail(dot)com