Buccellati Opens The Prince of Goldsmiths in Venice

The Prince of Goldsmiths. That is how Gabriele D'Annunzio described Mario Buccellati in 1936 due to his skill in creating true works of goldsmith art. “The Prince of Goldsmiths. Rediscovering the Classics” exhibition, being staged in Venice at Oficine 800 on the Giudecca Canal from 18^th April to 18^th June, rediscovers his legacy and history, thanks to the curation by Alba Cappellieri and Marco Balich, Chairman and Concept Developer of Wonder Studio Balich, in charge of the artistic direction.
A retrospective exhibition that celebrates every aspect of the Buccellati world, highlighting its dominant classical character and underlining the necessary stylistic evolution that leads to constant recognizability. «The desire to stage this exhibition stemmed, first and foremost, from wanting to celebrate the centenary that we were unable to commemorate in 2019 due to the Covid emergency, but also to present Buccellati (now part of the Richemont group) in a contemporary guise that we have never shown before. The leit motiv of this exhibition is, in fact, a journey through our company’s history. Spectators will thus be able to immerse themselves in our world, experience the great stages of our history and see how our jewelry is kept alive with evolutions in style, while still strongly in keeping with the traditions of craftsmanship. The exhibition moves away from the classic museum visit to become a true experience in which the public will recognize the Maison’s values by entering into a contemporary environment. Collaboration with Balich Wonder Studio stems exactly from the need to create an exhibition that is dynamic rather than predictable or static. What we imagined doing was to take the spectator inside the Buccellati world, and the Balich team's proposal has perfectly fulfilled this intent, thanks to projections and 3D mapping, which have allowed us to create a totally immersive exhibition,» explains the company's CEO, Gianluca Brozzetti, adding: «What Buccellati jewelry has always represented is extreme classicism. We don't follow trends, we want to remain faithful to our standards and style icons, which have, however, evolved over time, for example in the choice of stones, cuts, materials and workmanship. With this exhibition, we not only aim to celebrate the classic, and therefore our history and origins, but also the evolution over time of a piece of jewelry that will always be recognizable.» The theme of the exhibition is the rediscovery of the classics that is, all those objects that convey universal feelings of closeness, astonishment, wonder and passion. The Wonder Studio Balich team has embraced and interpreted this theme in an itinerary divided into four distinct threads: family, accessories, silver masterpieces worked with emboss- ing and chiseling techniques, and Buccellati jewelry icons. The main focus is the craftsmanship of its most famous creations. Claudio Sbragion, Creative Director, explains: «We structured the exhibition itinerary by staging the inspirations behind Buccellati's creations. A history of beauty that has constantly come back to life from generation to generation right up to present day. Indeed, we believe that classics are eternal when they are kept alive, interpreted with contemporary means and presented with emotional direction.

 

When they become a wonder generating experience. The creative idea of “Buccellati rediscovering the classics” stems precisely from the company’s goldsmith art mission, namely to create timeless design inspired by the Italian arts. In the exhibition, in fact, we have designed immersive installations that make architecture, painting and sculpture communicate with the company’s icons and immerse the visitor in its world.» Lastly, Marco Balich, Chairman and Concept Developer at Balich Wonder Studio, adds: «We are honored that Buccellati entrusted us with its desire to interpret the Maison’s history and the high-quality craftsmanship of its creations in an exhibition. Deep respect for culture and art and the desire to spread wonder are the common ground on which we developed the exhibition project’s concept. Our aesthetics and creativity applied to Buccellati's heritage have resulted in an exciting and contemporary exhibition, and Venice, the city chosen for the exhibition - and also my hometown - is itself an icon of timeless beauty whose fascination has never changed.» .