Two years after the success of the exhibition in Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and of the Saatchi Gallery’s in London last November, Madrid becomes the main stage for the presentation of the Serpenti exhibition at the prestigious Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum. From February 17th to April 16th, the magnificent Roman jeweller and master of coloured gems and the creative Refik Anadol will guide visitors through an immersive experience, with Anadol’s artwork interpreting the brand’s most emblematic icon and inaugurating the Bulgari Serpenti: 75 years of infinite tales exhibition.

The Serpenti concept was born in 1948, when the first bracelet-watches crafted with the famous Tubogas technique became an instant success. Worn by the most quintessential actresses in the 50s and 60s, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Serpenti quickly became one of Bulgari’s most desirable and recognizable icons, and over time, it was capable to renew and evolve itself in an unstoppable and fascinating metamorphosis that continues to the present day.

The media artist, director and pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence, Refik Anadol`s work locates creativity at the intersection of humans and machines. In taking the data that flows around us as the primary material and the neural network of a computerized mind as a collaborator, Anadol paints with a thinking brush, offering us radical visualizations of our digitized memories and expanding the possibilities of architecture, narrative, and the body in motion.

Anadol’s site-specific AI data sculptures and paintings, live audio/visual performances, and immersive installations take many forms, while encouraging us to rethink our engagement with the physical world, its temporal and spatial dimensions, and the creative potential of machines. This time, the unique AI artwork developed by Refik Anadol for Bulgari Serpenti will guide visitors through an immersive journey, taking them through the infinite intricacies of an ever-changing snake, showcasing its continuous rebirth and evolution.

Machine learning algorithms trained on more than 200 million images of nature result in a visualization of an alternative reality of nature that mimics its textures, recalling the snake evolution: a new take on the meaning of Metamorphosis. For a multi-sensory journey, a fragrance developed by artificial intelligence named Rainforest Serpenti permeates the immersive room of the museum that owns one of the most important pictorial collections in the world, with almost 900 works of art assembled over seven decades by the Thyssen-Bornemisza family.

Dürer, Rodin, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Monet, Rénoir, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Morisot, Picasso, Hopper, Rothko… are some of the renowned artists in painting history that are present in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, at he same time with Septenti, creating a bridge over time. ”Bulgari Serpenti: 75 years of infinite tales” exhibition features a curated selection of Serpenti creations from heritage jewellery and horology pieces dating back from the 1940’s right up to the present day as well as the Maison’s historical archives will also be accessible in the museum’s Rodin room, among the great painter`s paintings. The space invites guests on a journey, drawing on the imagery of the snake in Bulgari jewelry to discover how deeply this ancient motif, a powerful metaphor for transformation, continues to evolve and inspire the inexhaustible creativity of the Maison.

For the occasion, a one-of-a-kind Serpenti High Jewellery necklace with matching earrings, exclusively created for the anniversary, will be unveiled. Named Serpenti Blue Heaven after the celestial colours of its tanzanite and aquamarine layout evoking Roman and Spanish skies, the creation metaphorically displays an embrace between the two countries. With two dazzling snakes masterfully intertwined one another, the legend of Serpenti is rendered through Bulgari’s visionary craftsmanship and gemstone artistry in a new tale of wonder. From the most stylised models of the beginning, to the animal variants with polychrome enamels and precious eyes, until the cool, graphic charm of Viper collection, Serpenti will tell the story of a multi-faceted sign that has always been able to be in sync with fashion and social trends of female emancipation.

The exhibition will take place at Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid from February 17th to April 16th.