The art of jewelry maintains a complex relationship with time, ever in balance between the eternal and the ephemeral, tradition and fashion. The exhibition demonstrates the prowess of Van Cleef & Arpels in thoroughly representing a fragmented age like the 20th century, embodying at once the timeless value of beauty and fleeting power of enchantment.

Drawing from Italian writer Italo Calvino’s Six Memos for the Next Millennium, Alba Cappellieri chose key concepts through which she interprets the Maison’s creations and their relationship with time. The initial part on Time extends over ten sections, all focused on aspects emblematic of the period.

A time-honored source of inspiration for both art and jewelry, nature has endowed the Maison with an inexhaustible formal repertoire. Throughout its history, plants, flowers and animals have engendered an abundance of colors, patterns and materials, from precious gems to ornamental stones and organic materials.

Today, inside the National Museum of Saudi Arabia, the Nature section calls to mind a stroll through a lush garden, enveloped in greenery and flowers in bloom, birds in flight and mischievous animals, all representative of the ever-evolving style of the Maison.

A powerful energy, Love gave birth to the High Jewelry Maison: it was founded in 1906 following the wedding of Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels in Paris a few years before. Some 30 pieces – clips, rings, bracelets, objects and more – together with sketches and archival documents illustrate the full symbolic power of precious gifts, as well as the bonds forged by Van Cleef & Arpels with certain legendary couples who left their mark on the 20th century.

This rare selection is showcased in an immersive scenography conceived by international architect-designer Johanna Grawunder. Using neon colored light, she created a poetic and mysterious space and conceived a monumental transparent sculpture displayed in the Love room. Together with Michał Batory, graphic designer, who created a special typography and produced a video for the occasion, they contributed to highlight the timeless style of the Maison.

The exhibition also reaffirms the Maison’s values – creation, transmission and education – through an extensive calendar that will include talks with regional and international speakers, adults and children workshops and other immersive educational activities. The event will leverage partnerships with other Saudi institutions to provide access and opportunity to all communities – including those with visual impairments to this unprecedented patrimonial exhibition