Editor’s Note
This exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the artistic legacy of Van Cleef & Arpels, presenting over 300 pieces that trace the maison’s creative dialogue with time and nature since 1906.
SEOUL–(NewsWire)–The French High Jewelry Maison Van Cleef & Arpels will hold the patrimonial exhibition ‘Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love’ at the D Museum from November 18, 2023, to April 14, 2024, showcasing the world of the High Jewelry Maison. For this exhibition, over 300 jewelry and watch creations born since the Maison’s founding in 1906, along with precious objects and more than 90 original archival pieces, will be gathered in one place.
The exhibition will feature not only pieces from private collections and the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection but also documents, sketches, and gouache designs preserved in the archives, which capture the initial ideas of the creative process.
The exhibition’s three spaces—Time, Nature, Love—are curated by Alba Cappellieri, a scholar, author, and head of the Jewelry and Fashion Accessories Department at Milan Polytechnic University. Through this exhibition, Van Cleef & Arpels perfectly recreates an era of division like the 20th century while embodying the eternal value of beauty and the fleeting power of enchantment.
The first part, ‘Time,’ expands into ten spaces, focusing on the symbolism of the era. The first space unfolds around ‘Paris,’ followed by spaces dedicated to ‘Elsewhere’ and then the five lecture themes from Italo Calvino: Lightness, Quickness, Visibility, Exactitude, and Multiplicity.
The next space encountered showcases intersections with other artistic fields such as Fashion, Dance, and Architecture.
The subsequent space focuses on ‘Nature,’ expressed through flora and fauna. Finally, the exhibition space themed ‘Love’ presents works embodying symbols of love and gifts filled with affection. These pieces are testaments to the legendary romances that illuminated the 20th century, showcasing the power of the emotion of love.
The carefully selected rare pieces are arranged in exhibition spaces designed by architect Johanna Grawunder to allow for immersion. Johanna Grawunder used neon-colored light to create a lyrical and mysterious atmosphere in the exhibition hall and conceived a glass sculpture work commemorating the exhibition in the ‘Love’ themed space.
Furthermore, the timeless style of the Maison can be felt through the original typography and video animations specially created for this exhibition by graphic designer Michał Batory.
The ‘Time, Nature, Love’ exhibition offers visitors an opportunity to experience the captivating values within the craftsmanship presented as a true art form and the harmony pursued by Van Cleef & Arpels.
From January to March 2024, in connection with Van Cleef & Arpels’ L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, conversation programs and children’s programs introducing the diverse characteristics of the jewelry world, such as the history of jewelry, the world of gemstones, and jewelry design, will be held, providing richer content for exhibition visitors.
L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts is an educational institution founded by Van Cleef & Arpels in 2012, offering introductory educational courses in the field of jewelry to anyone, regardless of special qualifications.
· Exhibition Name – Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love
· Curator – Alba Cappellieri
· Production – Van Cleef & Arpels
· Venue – D Museum (83-21, Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul)
· Dates – November 18, 2023 ~ April 14, 2024
· Hours – Tue-Thu, Sun: 11:00 AM ~ 6:00 PM (Last admission: 5:00 PM)
Fri-Sat: 11:00 AM ~ 7:00 PM (Last admission: 6:00 PM)
Closed every Monday (except April 1 & 8, 2024), Closed on Lunar New Year’s Day (February 10)
· Ticket Price – 12,000 KRW (50% discount for D Museum members)
· Ticket Purchase – D Museum website, D Museum app (from Nov 1) / Naver, Interpark (ticket pages open from Nov 6) / D Museum ticket booth
Born from the marriage in 1895 between Alfred Van Cleef, son of a stonecutter, and Estelle Arpels, daughter of a precious stone dealer, Van Cleef & Arpels opened its first Maison at 22 Place Vendôme in Paris in 1906. For over a century, the High Jewelry and Watchmaking Maison has built a worldwide reputation with its original, elegant, and poetic style. It has continuously maintained a highly distinctive style by creating signature pieces filled with creativity and poetry, such as the emblematic Mystery Set technique, the Minaudière case, the transformable Zip necklace, and the Alhambra motif. The highest quality stones known as Pierres de Caractère, special gemstones that evoke emotion, and the artistic skill and expertise of master craftsmen within the Van Cleef & Arpels workshops, known as Mains d’Or, have given birth to jewelry and watch collections that recall enchanting magic. Drawing inspiration from nature, couture, dance, and imaginary worlds, Van Cleef & Arpels conveys enduring harmony and beauty to all.