We are pleased to invite applications for PERSONAL
ARCHEOLOGIES, a five-day intensive workshop held by Ela Bauerand Gésine Hackenberg supported by MASieraad *, situated at
Ravenstein in the Dutch countryside. Workshop assistant: Sophia Zobel.
PERSONAL
ARCHEOLOGIES is rooted
in the idea that identity is fragmented and layered, much like an
archaeological dig site. Just as archaeologists interpret history through
buried, broken or preserved artefacts, we too can explore the self through
remnants — objects, memories, rituals and absences.
The workshop PERSONAL ARCHEOLOGIES,
encourages participants to explore questions such as: What materials do we
carry with us from our ancestry, culture, gender, place, or different periods
in time? Which artefacts of the self are real, performed or imagined? Where do
these categories blur? How do these personal narratives relate to the body and
jewellery?
We will translate these questions into a
visual and material language by developing body-related pieces that resonate
with personal and collective histories.
The workshop is based on a step-by-step
process, focusing on personal development rather than the completion of a final
object.
Through material exploration exercises, we
will encourage intuition, imagination and associative thinking, fostering a
dynamic dialogue between materials and ideas. Group discussions will encourage
reflection and interpretation, and written exercises will help to clarify
thoughts and intentions.
PERSONAL
ARCHEOLOGIES aims to
provide you with the tools to enhance your visual language and gain a fresh
perspective on your own practice.
Who Can Apply We welcome an international group of
participants, including art jewellery students and recent graduates,
professional jewellery artists, designers, and makers, as well as artists from
related fields with an interest in identity, materiality, and narrative. Key
qualities include curiosity, openness, and a willingness to explore the
personal and conceptual dimensions of creation.
Arrival:Monday, August 10, 2026, 8:00 to 9:00 at Ravenstein train station Start: Monday, August 10, 2026, 9:00 at the studio End: Friday, August 14, 2026, 18:00 Departure: Friday, August 14, 2026, 19:00 from Ravenstein station Location: Summer studio of Ruudt Peters, Ravenstein, The Netherlands Accommodation: De Laurenshoeve (2-bed rooms) Website: laurenshoeve.nl/groepsaccommodaties/groepsaccommodatie-laurenshoeve/
Registration
deadline: July 19,
2026 (early bird registration incl payment before May 1, 2026)
Please
note: A final decision
regarding the workshop will be made in mid-May. Should the workshop be
cancelled, all paid registration fees will be fully refunded. However, the
organization cannot be held responsible or liable for any additional costs
incurred by participants, including but not limited to travel, accommodation, or
other personal expenses.
Prices Regular price: €1950
(excl. 21% VAT) Includes accommodation, food, drinks, wine and tourist tax Early bird: €1750
(excl. 21% VAT)** For registration & full payment received before May 1, 2026 Student grant: €1500
(excl. 21% VAT)** Three spots — applications due May 1, 2026
VAT notes: - Non-European participants do not pay VAT - European participants with a valid VAT number do not pay VAT
Student
Grants We
offer three grants for BA (final-year) and MA students in art schools. Grant recipients may attend the workshop PERSONAL ARCHEOLOGIES for a reduced
fee of €1500 (excl. 21% VAT).
To
apply (before May 1, 2026), submit: - A letter of recommendation from your professor - An official certificate of registration from your university - A statement explaining why you wish to attend and what you hope to learn
Deadline:
July 19, 2026 Registrations
are processed in the order received.
Payment Full
payment is due by July 1, 2026
Transfer to IBAN: NL 87ABNA0442457316,
BIC-Swift: ABNANL2A on the name of Peters en Versteijlen bv
Bank
Address: ABN AMRO BANK, Gustav Mahlerlaan 10, 1082 PP Amsterdam, the
Netherlands
Payment confirms your participation and is non-refundable. (An invoice will be issued upon acceptance; cheques are not accepted)
More Information For further information, please contact: elabauer8@gmail.com
About the instructors
In her work, Gésine Hackenberg investigates the conceptual
intersections of jewellery and everyday life. She employs a wide range of
materials and techniques, including (precious) metals, glass, ceramics, and
textile embroidery. Alongside her artistic practice, she taught at the PXL-MAD
School of Arts in Hasselt, Belgium, from 2011 to 2019. Since 2008, she has also
been teaching technical metalsmithing at the Vakschool Edelsmeden in Amsterdam.
She also gives regular lectures and workshops at universities and institutions
worldwide. Her work is held in the collections of major museums, including MAD
New York, the V&A London and Die Neue Sammlung Munich. www.gesinehackenberg.com
@gesinehackenberg
Ela Bauer's work is rooted in the idea that everything is in a
constant state of transformation. Nothing is fixed; forms emerge within an
ever-changing flow of processes. Through her work with fluid resins, she
explores the endless variations in tactility and colour that this medium
offers. Natural phenomena inspire her abstractions: calm, circular patterns
that embody the expected and on the other hand the whimsical, branching forms
that defy control. Together, these phenomena express an optimistic view of
life, where even a steady current can be dramatically impacted by the
unforeseen and the unimaginable. Ela has
contributed as lecturer, mentor, and examiner at various institutions such as
RISD (USA), Bezalel Academy (Jerusalem), and the Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam),
her work is held in the collections of
major museums, including MAD New York, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, CODA Apeldoorn
and Die Neue Sammlung Munich.
@elabauer8
In her work, Gésine Hackenberg investigates the conceptual
intersections of jewellery and everyday life. She employs a wide range of
materials and techniques, including (precious) metals, glass, ceramics, and
textile embroidery. Alongside her artistic practice, she taught at the PXL-MAD
School of Arts in Hasselt, Belgium, from 2011 to 2019. Since 2008, she has also
been teaching technical metalsmithing at the Vakschool Edelsmeden in Amsterdam.
She also gives regular lectures and workshops at universities and institutions
worldwide. Her work is held in the collections of major museums, including MAD
New York, the V&A London and Die Neue Sammlung Munich.
Ela Bauer's work is rooted in the idea that everything is in a
constant state of transformation. Nothing is fixed; forms emerge within an
ever-changing flow of processes. Through her work with fluid resins, she
explores the endless variations in tactility and colour that this medium
offers. Natural phenomena inspire her abstractions: calm, circular patterns
that embody the expected and on the other hand the whimsical, branching forms
that defy control. Together, these phenomena express an optimistic view of
life, where even a steady current can be dramatically impacted by the
unforeseen and the unimaginable. Ela has
contributed as lecturer, mentor, and examiner at various institutions such as
RISD (USA), Bezalel Academy (Jerusalem), and the Rietveld Academy (Amsterdam),
her work is held in the collections of
major museums, including MAD New York, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, CODA Apeldoorn
and Die Neue Sammlung Munich.