Joyaviva had its first opening at RMIT Gallery on Thursday night. The gallery with packed with people pouring over the intriguing objects, surrounded by touching stories of their use.

Melbourne jeweller Susan Cohn gave the opening remarks. She talked about the contradiction of using objects ‘to help me get through the moment’, while not believing in the power of outside forces. For her, jewellery makes connections – to people, causes, worlds. She claimed that ‘Jewellery is a universal language of belonging’.

Cohn praised the way artists in Joyaviva responded to the moment in time and it’s ongoing story. ‘They considered the world around them, with its daily challenges and catastrophes.’ They did this by drawing on materials of the moment. Cohn’s final words were, ‘Life is very strange’.

Thought the opening clashed with the international Jemposium at Wellington, quite a few of the artists were present, including Claudia Bettencourt and Nano Pulgar from Chile, Alice Whish from Sydney, and Jin ah Jo, Caz Guiney, Gina Ropiha and Blanche Tilden from Melbourne.

The show continues at RMIT until 24 March. It will re-open in Sydney at UTS Gallery on 1 August, then go to Auckland, Chile, Bolivia and Mexico.