What has Bvlgari installed on New York's High Line?
Bvlgari has installed something unusual in the heart of Manhattan. A pneumatic, writhing monumental golden sculpture rises from beneath the pavement on the High Line above Little West 12th Street. This show-stopping, bulging, coiling presence is called auruBOROS and was conceived by Plastique Fantastique, the Berlin-based duo, as a temporary, show-stopping stage for the Italian jeweller's iconic Serpenti. On view from 10-20 September, the pop-up, or indeed blow-up installation, is Bvlgari's first major public commission in the United States and the latest chapter in the global tour of the Serpenti Infinito, which has travelled from Rome to Shanghai, Seoul and Mumbai.
What is auruBOROS?
AuruBOROS is a temporary, large-scale public installation that is part sculpture and part architectural daring. It is formed of pneumatic coiling forms that emerge from beneath the tarmac, hinting at bulging, unseen forces working their way out from below the city's surface. Marco Canevacci and Yena Young, the artists behind Plastique Fantastique were chosen for their immersive spatial works that blur the boundaries between built environment and imagined landscape.
Why did Bvlgari create this installation?
Newly appointed CEO of Bvlgari, Laura Burdese remarks: "With Serpenti Infinito New York, Bvlgari reaffirms its enduring commitment to art as a universal language that connects cultures, inspires dialogue and celebrates creativity in all its forms. Bringing Serpenti to one of the world's most dynamic cultural capitals marks a meaningful new chapter in the icon's extraordinary journey, one that continues to evolve while remaining deeply rooted in our Roman heritage. As a symbol of perpetual transformation and infinite renewal, Serpenti invites us to embrace change as a source of beauty, innovation and inspiration, creating experiences that resonate far beyond the boundaries of time and place."
The Serpenti Infinito project takes key characteristics of each city it has visited. It creates installations and jewels that reflect its spirit, as seen in Shanghai's towering skyscrapers, Seoul's precision, and Mumbai's textile traditions, offering a cultural interchange between the jeweller and the city. In New York, it's an underground force made visible. Five one-of-a-kind high jewellery pieces translate the work of leading American artists into the language of Serpenti, along with three Serpenti Tubogas jewels and a bejewelled high accessories minaudière.
The high jewellery created for auruBOROS
The Serpenti Falling Drops necklace draws its energy from Jackson Pollock's abstract style, with a 23.13 carat triangular aquamarine suspended from the serpent's mouth as though released mid-motion. In white gold and diamonds, the piece captures Pollock's liberated line. The Serpenti Flag necklace and bracelet (above), inspired by Jasper Johns, interprets the American flag in tanzanite, coral and diamonds in rose gold.
The architectural Serpenti Ocean Deco necklace (above) echoes Miami's Art Deco seafront, with a rose gold serpent wrapping around the neck and adorned with malachite, onyx, rubellites, and diamonds. The bejewelled, stylised serpent clasps a 17.98 carat cushion-cut rubellite between its jaws and tail, complete with a twist and an onyx twist.
The Serpenti Helix necklace references Frank Lloyd Wright's Guggenheim spiral and pairs a white gold serpent set with diamonds against a yellow gold tubogas choker. A detachable 5.46 carat Tanzanian spinel hangs from the serpent's mouth, allowing two options of wear.
What are the new Serpenti Tubogas jewels presented in New York?
Three new Serpenti Tubogas pieces expand the New York offering. A single tubogas coil bracelet wraps around the wrist, its flexible coils terminating in a pavé diamond head and tail. Matching earrings and a brooch (above) complete the trio, with beady onyx eyes creating the serpent's mesmerising gaze.
And a new minaudière
The New York set is completed by a minaudière (above) inspired by the 1968 Serpenti Harlequin, continuing the collaboration with Mary Katrantzou. Hand enamelling recreates the Serpenti's iconic scales. Suspended from an elegant Cobra chain, crystal-set eyes bring the serpent to life, and a secret clasp harks back to the 1950s Serpenti Misteriosi secret watch.
Once again, the ever-changing Serpenti is reborn in a new skin, shape-shifting to offer a new personality that pays respects to its American host and the spirit of New York during its showstopping visit to the Big Apple.
