BVLGARI’s Serpenti Infinito Exhibition Debuts in Shanghai with Anne Hathaway, Liu Yifei
January 9, 2025
BVLGARI ramped up its luxury presence in China as Hollywood star Anne Hathaway and Chinese actress Liu Yifei headlined the Serpenti Infinito Exhibition in Shanghai, marking a strategic kickoff to 2025's Year of the Snake. The timing holds particular significance in Chinese culture, where the serpent symbolizes wisdom, prosperity, and eternal renewal—values that perfectly align with BVLGARI's interpretation of the Serpenti motif since 1948.
The inaugural ceremony drew an illustrious gathering of approximately 350 international guests, including Andrew Wu, LVMH Greater China President, and Tiziana D'Angelo, Consul General of Italy in Shanghai. Chinese actors and actresses Meng Ziyi, Li Yunrui, Chen Xingxu, He Ruixian, Xia Zhiguang, and Zuo Ye also attended the opening event. Adding to the evening's star power were BVLGARI's Global Ambassadors Anne Hathaway and Liu Yifei, alongside Indonesian actress and singer Cinta Laura Kiehl and Vietnamese singer Ho Ngoc Ha, each adorned in magnificent Serpenti creations.
The exhibition opened on January 8th, a date chosen for its symbolic resonance with infinity. Housed in Zhangyuan through February 16th, 2025, the venue—the area's largest Shikumen compound—serves as a masterfully revitalized cultural landmark that bridges Shanghai's heritage with its contemporary spirit. The venue provides an extraordinary backdrop for the iconic snake motif that has defined the brand since 1948 through an unprecedented convergence of heritage craftsmanship and contemporary artistic vision.
The exhibition builds upon the momentum of the Maison's 2023 international Serpenti 75th anniversary tour, which celebrated the reptile as a symbol of strength across different cultures. Now featuring 28 works, including 11 pieces created exclusively for this occasion, by a distinguished roster of 19 international and Chinese artists, the exhibition showcases the motif's enduring appeal. At its heart stands "Infinito: AI Data Sculpture" by Refik Anadol, a groundbreaking installation transforming the snake motif into an immersive digital artwork within a 360-degree mirrored chamber, embodying BVLGARI's commitment to merging tradition with technological innovation.
In an innovative integration of luxury hospitality and exhibition experience, BVLGARI Hotels & Resorts is introducing dedicated Serpenti Suites across its global portfolio. The BVLGARI Hotel Shanghai leads this initiative with specially curated animations from January 9th to 11th, coinciding with the exhibition's opening. Each suite offers guests an immersive virtual reality experience of the exhibition through VR headsets, extending the serpentine journey beyond the physical exhibition space.
The exhibition unfolds across three chapters exploring the serpent's history, artistry, and contemporary interpretations. Alongside unreleased high jewelry pieces and heritage collections, the show features the "Serpenti Postcard Experience" - a collaboration between art school students and gifted children with autism, demonstrating BVLGARI's commitment to inclusive artistic expression.
Adding a personal dimension to the exhibition's significance, the Maison's creative director of jewelry, Lucia Silvestri, shared her own connection to the collection, recounting how she received a yellow gold Serpenti ring from her father on her 18th birthday—a piece she still wears today. Never did she imagine that, years later, she would be in charge of guiding the ever-evolving collection. Silvestri emphasizes that even her one-of-a-kind designs are meant to be worn and enjoyed daily, not just for special occasions.
Rounding out the experience, a dedicated Chinese New Year Bazaar offers interactive elements from lucky card creation to traditional shadow puppetry, embodying BVLGARI's fusion of heritage luxury with contemporary Chinese culture - a strategic approach that has defined the brand's expansion in the region.
As the Serpenti Infinito Exhibition weaves together tradition, innovation, and cultural dialogue between East and West, it marks not just a celebration of BVLGARI's iconic motif, but points toward future possibilities. With each artistic interpretation and technological advancement, the eternal serpent continues to transform, suggesting that after 75 years, the Serpenti's journey of reinvention is far from complete.
