If stones could talk, what would they tell us? They would whisper secrets and stories that are millennia old. Stones were born even before humanity, and have accompanied it throughout history, observing the great historical and artistic events that have marked the centuries. Let’s think for example of the flints used by primitive men which allowed them to light the first spark and discover fire.

Precisely to celebrate the fascinating world of stones, Van Cleef & Arpels supported the creation of Stories of Stones exhibition curated by Jean de Loisy and Sam Stourdzé, open to the public at Villa Medici – Accademia di Francia in Rome from 13 October 2023 to 14 January 2024. Through this project, the Maison has once again demonstrated its strong connection with culture and its commitment to patronage initiatives that contribute not only to supporting art but also to a very important enrichment of the values ​​of our society.

The exhibition constitutes a unique experience to discover the world of stones, told through around 200 contemporary and ancient works, from the oldest terrestrial mineral dating back 4.4 billion years ago to the latest mineral created by the contemporary artist Agnieszka Kurant, Sentimentite. The exhibition communicates a profound sense of respect towards the element of stone and the meanings and symbolisms linked to it, as well as a feeling of reverence towards these objects, so silent, yet so wise and capable of generating a very powerful empathy.

The value of gratitude also emerges: gratitude to beauty, which is a need of the heart and therefore must be protected and safeguarded. An example of this is provided by the exhibition of some letters written by people from all over the world to the archaeological site of Pompeii, to apologize for having taken away or received as a gift stones originating from Pompeii, and to return these stones so that they can be brought back to the place from which they had been taken. “More than once I have thought that it was appropriate to look at stones as a kind of poetry”, these are the words of the surrealist writer Roger Caillois, whose prose accompanies the exhibition.

Among the numerous cultural projects of Van Cleef & Arpels, a strong link with the world of dance emerges, in particular through the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels patronage initiative, founded on the values ​​of creation, transmission and training, which since 2020 “collaborates with artists and institutions to support contemporary creation and promote the presentation of choreographic works to an ever-wider audience” and which is currently active in a dozen countries around the world. Precisely through this initiative, the Maison supported the production of the opera Somnole by Boris Charmatz, presented at Teatro Argentina in Rome in co-production with Romaeuropa Festival and Teatro di Roma. Boris Charmatz is an innovative choreographer, and director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch since 2022. Somnole is a solo that explores the world of dreams, memories, and semi-conscious state during the night, and at the same time presents a new musical idea, which sees the artist whistling throughout the performance.

“I would like to do a solo like this – declared the artist to describe the creativity of the work – inspired by these states of latency, explore hibernation and its end, the undertow of daydreams and the shock of awakening, and explore the desire for passivity and move in sleep.” Of course, the work represents disruptive art, absolutely original and full of new ideas, thus symbolizing the attention to innovation of Van Cleef & Arpels, which through tradition projects itself into the future and seeks uniqueness and authenticity in talents that it decides to support.

Boris Charmatz says that his artistic vision has been supported by his family, for which the value of culture has always been fundamental. And it is precisely from his childhood that his passion for the element of whistling comes. It “draws a lot from the music that was played on the radio when I was a child – he declares – that is, above all, from the background music of the France Musique radio station.” And again: “my dream has always been to become the director of a whistling orchestra.” We can say that the dream has come true: at a certain point, during the exhibition, the artist dialogues with the audience directly through whistles, and inviting them to participate gives life to a chorus of whistles as in a real symphony orchestra.

Thanks to the experience offered by Van Cleef & Arpels we were also able to visit the exhibition Van Cleef & Arpels and dance: a creative pas de deux open until 4 January 2024 in the Maison’s Roman boutique in Via dei Condotti, 15. All the pieces presented belong to the private collection of the Maison and tell its history and cultural heritage, with particular reference to the world of dance, which has always been very dear to Van Cleef & Arpels.

And so, the mind travels to the past, to when Louis Arpels attended the Paris Opera together with his nephew Claude in the 1920s, observing the dancers who gracefully exhibited on the stage and drawing inspiration for the beautiful creations that are now the eternal symbol of Maison. Thus, the Maison’s first dancing brooches were born in the early 1940s. And it is right in front of the Van Cleef & Arpels window overlooking Fifth Avenue that George Balanchine, famous choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet, found inspiration for the 1967 ballet Jewels. From the shared passion of Claude Arpels and Balanchine arose the ballet which sees the dancers dressed as if they were precious stones, in particular diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.

So from the past to the future, Van Cleef & Arpels’ journey of excellence continues, and projects the passion for art and the world of dance into the coming times, through its tireless commitment to supporting talent, culture, and beauty.