bulgari marks 75 years of serpenti jewelry with live robot arm chiseling in its milan exhibition

Bulgari’s ‘Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales’ stops by milan

Bulgari is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its Serpenti series with an opulent exhibition in Milan, the only European stop in the Serpenti Factory global tour following Shanghai and Seoul. The exhibition, ‘Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales,’ is held at the Dazio di Levante and runs from October 11th to November 19th, 2023.

Inside the exhibition space, Bulgari’s heritage jewelry and watches, alongside some of the Maison’s High Jewelry creations, are on display, alongside artistic and sculptural interpretations of the Serpenti symbol by artists Quayola, Sougwen Chung, Daniel Rozin, Cate M, Fabrizio ‘Bixio’ Braghieri, and Filippo Salerni.

Bulgari’s ‘Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales’ exhibition in Milan journeys through the Maison’s jewels, watches, and archives, offering a glimpse into the evolution of the Serpenti symbol, from the first secret watches and the 1960s colored creations to its Serpenti Viper collection and interpretations of high jewelry. Bulgari’s collaboration with two Milanese artists, Fabrizio ‘Bixio’ Braghieri and Filippo Salerni, also extends inside the Bulgari boutique in Via del Gesù 4, which houses Bixio’s ‘Fragile Hearts’ installation, the largest he has ever made. The Bulgari Hotel in Milan sets the stage for Salerni’s installation, ‘Aftermath of a Snake Deconstruction.’

images courtesy of Bulgari

Artists interpret the serpenti symbols with installations

Stepping inside Bulgari’s ‘Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales’ exhibition in Milan, artists put their personal spin on the Serpenti symbol, bringing their flair and the Maison’s decades-old iconography together. Take Roman artist Quayola’s work, where a robot arm gives a live chiseling performance, reminiscent of classical sculptures and Michelangelo’s unfinished concepts.

The robot, guided by algorithms, attempts to finish shaping incomplete figures in the midst of its experimental state. It keeps reprocessing and applying techniques it discovers along the way, hinting at the slow process of crafting as infinite possibilities emerge. Quayola’s use of technology may tie in with Sougwen Chung’s multimedia sculpture, created using motion-capture data and large-scale 3D-printed chrome that resembles liquid mercury.

A cinematic process film comes with it, documenting a virtual performance to narrate how the sculpture was made. The work is inspired by Bulgari’s very own Serpenti symbol on rebirth and perpetual return, coalescing with Chung’s personal take on the themes of tradition and transformation in light of Serpenti’s future reborn form.

entering the exhibition space

Interactive sculptures and installations delineate Daniel Rozin’s work for Bulgari’s ‘Serpenti: 75 Years of Infinite Tales’ exhibition in Milan. His sculpture, forming part of his Mechanical Mirror series, showcases a moving mechanical display where visitors can see themselves as the work reflects them. The kinetic mirrors respond to the presence of a person holding a camera and a computer, or with custom software, and the materials Rozin employed mirror the skin of a snake with its hexagon-like shape for every tile.

The influences of the animal world lend their roots to Catherine Mercier, nudging the self-taught artist to sculpt her representation of a snake in ‘The Small and Big Python Head’ and ‘The Mandarin.’ She combines the traditional symbolism of the snake with that of Bulgari’s Serpenti, crafting them from clay and casting them in bronze as the final step. Alongside her work, the Serpenti Factory exhibition in Milan features other sensorial experiences, including 3D images of the Serpenti’s history and a documentary film that delves deep into the iconic symbol’s birth and transformation.

live robot arm chiseling