“When Elegance Meets Art”: Van Cleef & Arpels Patrimonial Exhibition

Van Cleef & Arpels | Apr 20, 2018 11:30 am | Add a comment | 2555 reads | Provided by Van Cleef & Arpels

The poetry and elegance of Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations will be on display at Beijing’s Today Art Museum from Apr 21 to Aug 5, 2018. First presented in 2012 at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, this exhibition is traveling for the first time to take up residence in China for several months. Enriched with new acquisitions, it is made up of nearly 400 creations from both the Van Cleef & Arpels Collection and private collections. Displayed chronologically, these carefully selected High Jewelry pieces, jewelry, and fashion accessories reflect the evolution of the Van Cleef & Arpels style. The history of the Maison is studded with technical inventions, passed down from generation to generation by the Mains d’Or – its virtuoso master craftsmen. This exceptional savoir-faire – combined with a rich imagination and varied sources of inspiration – underpins an astonishing outpouring of creativity. The exhibition is presented in a dreamlike setting designed by the Jouin Manku agency.

For the “When Elegance Meets Art” Van Cleef & Arpels Patrimonial Exhibition at the Today Art Museum in Beijing, Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku have created a decor that evokes the world of dreams. Presented for the first time in 2012 at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the exhibition is today revealed in a dreamlike setting, inspired by misty landscapes traced in China ink. Tinged with mystery, this presentation plunges the visitor into the heart of the Maison's distinctive universe, with a selection of nearly 400 creations displayed in chronological order.

Like a journey in time, the visit begins with the discovery of jewelry pieces dating from between 1910 and 1930. In the “Small Gallery”, jewels and precious objects are presented in a gentle atmosphere of gray and celadon green tones. The gaze is then drawn to the plays of shadow and light of the second space (the “Medium Gallery”), which showcases the creations of 1940 to 2017 in display cases of different kinds. Encrusted into the wall or on legs, traditional display cases enable the pieces to be admired close up, while transparent "picture rail" displays – specially designed for this exhibition – seem to melt into the scenery. Like near-invisible boxes, they fade into the background to make way for the jewels in all their majesty. Guided by changing colors – from emerald green to deep violet – visitors make their way through the different periods, styles and inspirations associated with Van Cleef & Arpels before arriving at the “Large Gallery”, known as “le Nuage” (the cloud). The high point of the exhibition, it looks down over the other spaces like a nocturnal mist, progressively revealing the selection's key pieces.

From room to room, wall panels and curtains in colored cotton thread provide structure and rhythm to an exhibition spread out over 900sqm. The space of the Today Art Museum has been transformed by Jouin Manku's decor, which reveals the beauty and details of the pieces while immersing visitors in a meditative dreamscape.

To accompany the exhibition, a range of digital and audiovisual tools are available for visitors:

An audio guide application can be accessed via Van Cleef & Arpels’ WeChat account at VanCleefArpelsChina, allowing followers to discover the story behind some of the emblematic jewelry pieces and stay up to date with news about the event
A virtual tour of the workshops can be viewed on touchscreens placed around the exhibition rooms
Several films supplement the exhibition (a historical slideshow about Paris’ Place Vendôme; nine short movies by Loïg Prigent and Willy Papa depicting the savoir-faire of the Mains d’Or, the virtuoso craftsmen of Van Cleef & Arpels' workshops; a film about some key pieces presented in “le Nuage”, the Large Gallery of the exhibition; a video about the animated Automate Fée Ondine).

Founded in 2002, the Today Art Museum or TAM states its engagement with the slogan: "Foothold on today, outlook for tomorrow". As the first not-for-profit, non-governmental art museum in China, the TAM acts as an international platform for the exhibition of contemporary art, educational seminars, and related arts programs and events. It has not only been committed to encouraging the development of Chinese contemporary art, but it also promotes its place within the contemporary art world. Indeed, the museum establishes an international dialogue through exhibitions and events that provide structure for meaningful cultural exchange between Chinese and non-Chinese artists and organizations.