The “Van Cleef & Arpels: Time, Nature, Love” exhibition displays the universe of the High Jewellery Maison at D Museum in Seoul, from November 18, 2023, to April 14, 2024.
The exhibition, taking place in the D Museum where everyday life becomes art, offers visitors the chance to discover an enchanting vision in which the expert craftsmanship and pursuit of harmony at Van Cleef & Arpels come together as a veritable art form, showcasing over 300 jewellery creations, watches, precious objects, sketches and archival documents

Curated by Alba Cappellieri, Italian scholar, author and Director of the International Master in Jewellery & Fashion Accessories at Politecnico di Milano, the exhibition revolves around three sections: Time, Nature and Love. The art of jewellery 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.

The first one is dedicated to Paris, followed by the Elsewhere and the five values cited by Calvino: Lightness, Quickness, Visibility, Exactitude and Multiplicity. The next spaces highlight Intersections with other artistic disciplines, which are Fashion, Dance and Architecture. The second section of the exhibition is dedicated to Nature, expressed through Fauna, Botany and Flora. Finally, the Love-themed room displays creations – symbols and gifts of love – that have embodied the power of emotions, as tokens of some of the most mythical romances of the 20th century.

This rare selection is showcased in an immersive scenography conceived by international designer-artist 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 highlighting the timeless style of the Maison.