Buccellati announces a major retrospective in Venice

A Buccellati exhibition is set to celebrate the jewellery house’s history, rich with craftsmanship and creativity. The major new retrospective, ‘The Prince of Goldsmiths, Rediscovering the Classics’, will take place in Venice, created and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, and opening to coincide with the Venice Biennale 2024.

Oficine 800 on Giudecca Canal will be the backdrop for Buccellati’s jewellery and silverware pieces, with a curation by Alba Cappellieri uniting designs spanning the decades.

‘The title of the exhibition, “The Prince of Goldsmiths”, comes from the words of the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio, whose friendship with Mario Buccellati testifies to the [maison’s] connection with Italian history since the [latter founded it] in 1919,’ says Balich Wonder Studio creative director, Claudio Sbragion. ‘The exhibition concept is "Buccellati rediscovering the classics", a natural mission of its goldsmithing art that, for over a century, designed jewels with everlasting beauty, untouched by the trends and guided by the classical proportions of all the Italian arts. Classical Italian architecture, painting and sculpture have inspired the goldsmithing creations and dialogue with the precious jewels in the exhibition, [which are enhanced] with video installations that [immerse] the visitor into the Buccellati world.’

The exhibition is divided into four parts, taking a closer look at the generations of the Buccellati family, the silver and gold accessories, the most famous silver designs and, finally, the jewellery. For Buccellati, Venice was the natural home for the retrospective. ‘Venice is widely recognised as a masterpiece of art, besides being my hometown,’ adds Marco Balich, Balich Wonder Studio chairman and concept developer. ‘Similarly, Buccellati symbolises timeless beauty and a goldsmith's art that lives daily in the contemporary world.’

The distinctive long and narrow shape of Oficine 800 prompted a unique exhibition design, composed of two parallel sections. ‘Shapes draw an ideal perspective line, which becomes the route for the visitor,’ says Sbragion. ‘Sometimes, it is an imaginative path suggested by the video storytelling on evanescent screens; other [times], the perspective is infinitely multiplied, thanks to the oldest theatrical mechanism of mirrors. As the exhibition's concept suggests, the privilege and the limits of working in [a historic place] can become the creative inspiration for the present design.’

‘The exhibition we are presenting in Venice is a tribute to our family and to the designers who, inspired by classical art, architecture and sculpture, have created magnificent masterpieces,’ the Buccellati family say. ‘The exhibition retraces the distinctive themes of Buccellati creations, highlighting the craftsmanship and preciousness of the “classic” all-important pieces of our history. We loved the idea of presenting contemporary pieces, as well as archive and vintage pieces in a modern unconventional way, through interactive presentations which are visual, tactile and involve all senses.’

'The Prince of Goldsmiths, Rediscovering the Classics' takes place from 18 April – 18 June 2024 in Venice

buccellati.com