Amanda Wellsh photographed by Gian Paolo Barbieri. Photo courtesy of Bulgari.
The Italian brand partners with the new media artist to create an exhibition representing the Serpenti’s metamorphosis.
For 75 years, the Serpenti has been Bulgari’s definitive design. The sinuous form of the snake, a symbol of seduction, transformation, and female empowerment, has seen several jewelry iterations through its history. Acclaimed by Vogue’s own Diana Vreeland and brought into mainstream by Elizabeth Taylor, the Serpenti has been donned by several muses, from Marisa Berenson and Charlize Theron to Alicia Vikander, Naomi Campbell, and, most recently, Zendaya.
In celebration of the Serpenti’s 75th anniversary, Bulgari is collaborating with new media artist and designer Refik Anadol for a limited exhibition. Titled Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales, the exhibition features a multimedia artwork installation generated by artificial intelligence and resulting from algorithms trained with 200 million images of nature. Anadol takes the concept of metamorphosis as transformation from one form to another, interpreting it through the transformation of nature to data and data to abstract art.
The exhibition also features a curated selection of Bulgari Serpenti creations from the brand’s Heritage collection, as well as from the Maison’s historical archives. Part of the immersive multi-sensory experience is a fragrance developed by artificial intelligence, named Rainforest Serpenti, which permeates the installation room.
Unveiling Heaven
Along with the exhibition’s opening on February 17, Bulgari also unveiled Serpenti Blue Heaven, a new Serpenti High Jewelry necklace with matching earrings exclusively created for its anniversary. The design features tanzanite and aquamarine to represent Roman and Spanish skies, meant to represent the creative collaboration of the two countries.
“Reinterpreting Serpenti sign over and over without changing its identity is an inspiring challenge.” says Lucia Silvestri, Bulgari’s jewelry creative director.
Bulgari’s collaboration with Anadol is just the first of a series of creative team ups between the brand and contemporary artists. Along with the announcement of the exhibition, Bulgari also launched The Serpenti Factory, an artistic initiative focusing on the snake as an endless source of creative production, symbolism, and iconography.
Embracing multiple territories from heritage to craftsmanship to mult-isensory technologies, the project will feature a series of collaborations with artists such as Anadol, Davide Quayola, Daniel Rozin, Sougwen Chung, and Cate M. Each of these artists has developed exclusive artworks dedicated to and inspired by Serpenti. Throughout the year, Serpenti Factories spread across the world will feature the work of local artists.
Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales, the Refik Anadol exhibition is open to the public at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid now through April 16.
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