Now Showing till 15 Oct 2017
Explore how the enigmatic snake motif has inspired over 150 artefacts and artworks by renowned artists including Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Hokusai, Keith Haring and the world of Bulgari's jewels.
SERPENTIform is an exhibition that explores the many facets of the snake motif that has embodied across time and space and how this versatile motif has inspired the world of jewels, arts, design, fashion, decorative arts and photography.
Epitomizing seduction, rebirth and transformation, the serpent as a symbol has been intertwined for centuries with the story of mankind, capturing the imagination from East to West. Ever since antiquity, the creature’s ability to renew itself by changing skin, to remain in contact with the earth and at the same time rise above it, to sinuously coil itself up, or to defeat threatening predators, has fed myths and legends, stimulating a wide range of artistic practices.
Paying tribute to a motif that has contributed to the Maison’s international fame, Bulgari narrates how the serpent has also inspired many important names in art, design, fashion, decorative arts and photography. SERPENTIform is a multifaceted experience that bridges ancient and modern, thus further underlining the timelessness of such a powerful symbol.
The exhibition path unfolds from ancient jewels and antiquities to modern and contemporary artworks by Keith Haring, Niki de Saint Phalle , Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, Franz von Stuck, Marc Chagall, Joana Vasconcelos, Motohiko Odani, Heri Dono and Wu Jian’an, just to name a few. Original photographic masterpieces from Robert Mapplethorpe and Peter Hujar, as well as delightful vintage evening dresses and costumes from prestigious theatre and cinema archives, further enrich the exhibition.
Bulgari Serpenti creations from the Maison archives and private collections - ranging from the more stylised early models made with the Tubogas technique to more realistic ones with gold scales or enamelled in many colours - convey the fascinating evolution of this sign in the pioneering creativity of the Maison.
Book your tickets here today!
SERPENTIFORM SPECIAL
PROGRAMMES
Public Guided Tour
Family Fridays 6 Oct | 3:00pm – 3:45pm
Sun 15 Oct | 11:30am – 12:15pm
Mandarin Guided Tours
Sat 7, 14 Oct | 4:00pm – 4:45pm
Exhibition Entrance, Level 3
As one of the most extraordinary versatile motif, the serpent has slithered into many artistic periods and practices as a prominent source of inspiration, even taking the mantel of muse for the Bulgari Serpenti Collection. Join our SerpentiForm guided tour as we shed away the many skins worn by this mystifying emblem, and discover a rich language of artistic inspiration, imagination and ingenuity.
Spin-a-snake: Make Your Own Zoetrope Animation
Family Fridays, 1, 15, 29 Sep & 6 Oct 4:30pm - 5:30pm
Rainbow Room, Basement 2
Our fascination with motion and illusion is as old as the story of human civilisation. Also known as the wheel of life, zoetropes produce animations through slits in rotating cylinders. But how does a zoetrope work and what kinds of still images move? Join us in this hands on workshop, learn to sketch for motion and bring some snakes to life instantly with our zoetropes.
ABOUT
Part of the LVMH Group, Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 as a jewellery shop and quickly established a reputation for Italian excellence with exquisite craftsmanship and magnificent jewellery creations. The Company’s international success has evolved into a global and diversified luxury purveyor of products and services ranging from fine jewels and watches to accessories and perfumes, with an unrivalled network of boutiques and hotels in the world’s most exclusive shopping areas.