L’Arche de Noé, by Van Cleef & Arpels

Van Cleef & Arpels reinvents Noah’s Ark with a new fabulous high jewellery collection, « L’Arche de Noé », presented as an exhibition to the public at the prestigious Hôtel d’Évreux, Place Vendôme, until September 26^th.

After Peau d’Âne, Van Cleef & Arpels plunges into the book of Genesis and reinvents Noah’s Ark with the collaboration of talented set designer Robert Wilson for the launch of a new high jewellery collection that the Maison wished to share with the Public until September 26th, 2016.

Do not miss this exhibition, a pure delight for the eyes. Van Cleef & Arpels has a few surprises in store for you with this collection composed exclusively of animal clips, highlighting the codes and stones dear to the house. A Noah’s Ark which brings to life real and imaginary animals. Such as this unicorn, a wonderful creature represented in the 1940s by the Maison and whose volume is underlined thanks to the Mystery Set™, an emblematic technique patented in 1933 by the Maison to set the stones without the metal being visible. Also this phoenix, a legendary bird common to many cultures, this clip illustrates the vitality of its eternal rebirth. This is one out of the three imaginary creatures of the collection, this interpretation is in line with other major jewellery pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels: the bird clip made in 1971-72, set with the Walska Briolette yellow diamond, and the Mysterious Phoenix necklace from the 2012 collection « Palais de la chance ».

Inspired by the bestiary dear to the Van Cleef & Arpels Maison, each animal required long hours of hard work and it took almost three years to prepare this fabulous artwork collection. All these lovable animals can be purchased and I would have loved myself to own a piece of this merry and magical collection.

The amazement is also caused by the poetic journey imagined by the set designer of mythical Einstein on the Beach, Robert Wilson, aka Bob Wilson to his close friends. At the age of 75, he who has staged the greatest operas such as Pelléas and Mélisande and Madame Butterfly – recently at the Paris Bastille Opera – still know how to delight grown-ups and children alike.

By imagining a sensory setting to tell the story of Noah’s Ark in light and emotion, Bob Wilson recalls his childhood soul and honours animals and nature in a dreamlike and wonderful way by reviving – with irony – the scene of The Flood.

At the press conference, Bob Wilson described his work with light, a fascination ever since he was a kid, recalling that “without light there is no space and therefore no contrast”. Life is a contrast and it would be a shame to deprive ourselves of it. He wanted more than ever to put forward this contrast of day and night, sun and rain to pay homage to both diurnal and nocturnal animals. This minimalist Ark hanging in the middle of the room made me think of a refuge for animals but also for the world. To me it was like a reference to current events, which raises the question of our faculty to welcome the other. But, as one of my friends would say, stop analysing and just receive.

This is what I invite you to do by going to see this superb exhibition, unfortunately very ephemeral. We would have liked it to last as long as the fabulous exhibition on the Art of High Jewellery in 2012!

Do not hesitate also to take your children who will marvel at these magical animals. Add to this another exhibition that is perfect for kids: Le Grand Orchestre des animaux, at the Cartier Fondation.