Van Cleef & Arpels has unveiled The Art of Movement, an exhibition that explores the maison’s depiction of movement through jewellery since its foundation in 1906.
Spanning four themes—Human Odyssey, Nature Alive, Elegance, and Abstract Movements—the exhibition showcases Van Cleef & Arpels’ savoir faire in creating fluidity and motion with precious metals and gemstones. Comprising over 100 pieces from its patrimonial collection and accompanied by almost 50 archival documents and drawings, The Art of Movement exhibition takes a holistic approach to representing the maison’s work.
French maison Van Cleef & Arpels was born in 1906 out of the love story between Alfred Van Cleef and Esther ‘Estelle’ Arpels. Based out of 22 Place Vendôme in Paris (the hub for high-end jewellers in the City of Light), Van Cleef & Arpels’ varied collections have long been united by their representations of movement.
The Art of Movement exhibition spotlights the poetry of motion that transpires in the natural and man-made worlds. Human Odyssey is an ode to the machines born out of a desire for adventure and wanderlust. The Mystère IV (1956) offers a romantic take on aviation; designed for Jacqueline Auriol, France’s first female test pilot, it’s crafted from yellow gold and platinum-set diamonds and depicts a plane taking off, with slim mesh cylinders in a chevron formation creating the impression of speed. Elsewhere, the maison’s famous Dancer clips—first introduced in 1941—depict the grace and elegance of the human body in motion.
In Nature Alive, attention is turned to the flora and fauna of the natural world; a Fern clip (1950) represents the non-linear growth pattern of the plant through yellow gold, diamonds, and rubies, while the Buttercup wristwatch (1941) uses the same material palette and frames the dial within an open corolla.
A boon for lovers of haute couture and jewellery in equal measure, Elegance displays the maison’s mastery over precious metals and gemstones with creations that draw from the world of material adornment. The maison’s Bow clip (c. 1950) speaks to the femininity of the post-war period, while the Cord necklace (1951) is a masterclass in creating motion through metal, with the hybrid piece (it can be adapted into a bracelet) crafted from yellow gold and evocative of a rope trimmed with tassels.
Meanwhile, Abstract Motions encompasses movement that cannot be clearly defined or boxed in. From modernist lines to kinetic energy, this collection plays with the abstract through curvilinear forms and optical illusions. The intersection of nature and couture is explored in the Silhouette clip (1937) which plays with negative space to depict a form that can be interpreted as a knot or a flower. Elsewhere, the Cadenas wristwatch (1939; with the collection debuting in 1935) plays with atypical placements; the bracelet draws inspiration from a padlock while the dial is placed in such a way that it’s only visible to the wearer, allowing for the time to be checked discreetly.
The free exhibition runs from the 11th of April to the 8th of May 2025 and takes place at Watersedge at Campbell’s Stores, Sydney.
Address: 25 Hickson Rd, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Time: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm
Words by T. Angel
