Orrery

In 2018 Sofie Stal graduated at the "Academie voor Edelsmeden van van Helden" (Zeist, Netherlands). For her graduation she designed and created a piece of jewellery that has resulted in the necklace "Orrery”.
Sofie found the inspiration for this necklace in ancient globes and 17th - century orreries, as well as in space-age and pop-art couture and design of the sixties.
The necklace’s pendant consists of three different objects : "Globe", "Saturn" and "Orbit". The wearer can choose which object (s)he likes to wear. The three objects can also be seen as independent artefacts.
The "Globe" contains a light element, which can be operated by opening the "Globe", thus giving the jewellery an extra dimension. When worn in subdued light or in a dark space, the ornament seems different than in daylight. On the one hand the wearer becomes the centre of attention because of the radiance emitted from the jewellery. On the other hand, the wearer becomes part of the space where (s)he is located, because the light is reflected on the walls and the ceiling. This makes the wearer feel as if (s)he is under a starry sky, or, even more so, somewhere in the universe. Alternatively, the viewer, looking at the wearer of this "Orrery", sees a lightbulb burning at the level of the wearer’s heart. The light is thus the symbol of life.
Video film project

Sofie Stal worked together with Judith Stal and Raoul Kelner on a short performance film in which the “Orrery” jewellery had the leading role. Little by little the film reveals the "Orrery" jewellery. At the end of the movie the meaning of the different objects becomes clear. The film was created on a very small budget. Credits for the short film are shared with Judith Stal, who was responsible for the shooting, and Dirk Renkema for the editing. Raoul Kelner was the composer of the music. Watch the movie! It takes approximately 6 minutes →
Orrery Pictures








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