Last chance to see: Van Cleef & Arpels celebrates movement at the Design Museum
Discover fluidity in high jewellery at The ‘Art of Movement, Van Cleef & Arpels’ exhibition at the Design Museum
![A selection of gold necklaces and assorted jewellery displayed against an abstract background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Xbo5JtXQL7PPAsi9sjsy-415-80.jpg)
Van Cleef & Arpels takes a deep dive into its history with a celebration of dance in the exhibition ‘Art of Movement, Van Cleef & Arpels’. Taking place at London’s Design Museum, it intertwines the maison’s exquisite dance-inspired pieces - including Louis Arpels’ favourite Dancer clips - with its support of the arts, most recently expressed in this year’s Dance Reflections Festival.
‘First, we started with the story,’ Lise Macdonald, Van Cleef & Arpels director of heritage and exhibitions tells us. ‘Once we have that in mind, then we look at the space. I like how the museum has managed to turn a fleeting moment into an eternal form. It's about transforming the ephemeral into the eternal. And I would hope visitors feel a sense of amazement, of beauty and poetry. It will transport them into seeing that jewellery making is a true art form of its own.’
Visitors are invited to discover a treasure trove of archival pieces, from the unique Zip necklace designed in the Thirties and produced in 1950, to the textured gold of 1964’s Trois Clochettes clip and Egyptian-style bracelets from the Twenties, which draw lotuses resting on the water in precious gems.
Jewels are set against a swirling, couture-inspired backdrop. The decor, designed by Faire Agency in collaboration with Les Ateliers Lognon, unites jewels with exquisite pleated fabrics in pastel hues. Upon arriving, visitors trace the curves of a ribbon as it unfurls throughout the rooms, uniting the four parts of the exhibition.
‘When we were preparing for the dance festival, we thought it would be interesting to work on this idea of dance and movement, but in a larger sense. And this is how the conversation with the Design Museum started,’ adds president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, Nicolas Bos. ‘I really love this museum, and it is an opportunity to focus on one specific aspect - the significance that movement can have in our world, be it the physicality of movement, when you have mechanisms and moving parts, or the evocation of movement, in a figurative way, like the ballerinas. Or sometimes in a more abstract manner, with pieces from the Sixties and Seventies. It was an intellectual exercise to curate the collections according to one specific aspect of value.’
For Bos, the Design Museum was a natural home for the exhibition thanks to its diverse exploration of design. ‘It's very exciting. It's always one of the objectives that we keep pretty much across all initiatives - to talk to the widest possible audience. Whether we’re talking about joy, or when we talk about dance, when we talk about craftsmanship or nature. Maybe because of the commercial aspect of our world it feels a bit more exclusive, or sometimes intimidating or secret. When we are working on this type of big initiative, you want it to be as open as possible in a museum that's very open. It's free, and there will be some lovers of jewellery but also experts and amateurs, families and children - I really hope they all come and enjoy the exhibition.’
INFORMATION
'The Art of Movement, Van Cleef & Arpels' is on at the Design Museum, London, until October 20th 2022
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Self-Portrait launches first jewellery collection
Self-Portrait rethinks traditional motifs in its first jewellery collection, turning the feminine flounces of the bow into chic, contemporary pieces
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Seiko shines a light on conceptual Japanese watch design
Seiko’s Power Design Project 2024 at Japan House London explores watchmaking potential with seven ‘incredibly specialised watches’
By James Gurney Published
-
Van Cleef & Arpels' immersive London exhibition takes visitors inside the watchmaking world
Van Cleef & Arpels’ exhibition, ‘Poetry of Time’, at South Kensington’s Cromwell Place gallery, traces the early days of the maison
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Michèle Lamy and Loree Rodkin’s zodiac jewellery is on show at Carpenters Workshop Gallery
Michèle Lamy and Loree Rodkin’s zodiac jewellery, ‘HunRod Gold’, is at Carpenters Workshop Gallery, London, alongside furniture by Rick Owens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Bulgari welcomes BAFTA 2024 with a London show of its era-spanning film-star jewellery
For BAFTA 2024, Bulgari spotlights its rich cinematic connections in a jewellery exhibition at its Bond Street store
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Maria-Sole Ferragamo reveals new jewellery at PAD London
Maria-Sole Ferragamo and Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery have created jewellery collection ‘Trame’, featuring upcycled brass
By Mazzi Odu Published
-
Jacqueline Rabun’s sculptural jewellery design goes on show in London
‘Jacqueline Rabun: A Retrospective’ opens at London’s Carpenters Workshop Gallery
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Jaeger-LeCoultre and Tokio Myers present a four-day show at Battersea Power Station
The Golden Ratio Musical Show will be held at 1931 Cinema, a specially created venue at Battersea Power Station, London
By Hannah Silver Published