Monaco - Grimaldi Forum
EXHIBITION
Passionate about art, Diane VENET acquired her first artist’s jewel—a brooch by painter Roy Lichtenstein—in New York in 1967. But it was her encounter with sculptor Bernar VENET in 1985 that led her to begin assembling a collection of artist’s jewelry, gradually built through encounters, artistic favorites, and special commissions.
Over the course of 30 years, Diane VENET has brought together a remarkable collection of more than 230 artist’s jewels. 180 of them will be unveiled for one month at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. From Picasso to Jeff Koons, including Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, Niki de Saint Phalle, Keith Haring, Louise Bourgeois, ORLAN, Miguel Chevalier… the exhibition features both modern and contemporary artists, French and international alike.
Her jewelry collection is part of her daily life—she has never stopped wearing the pieces. But exhibiting and sharing this passion has also become essential. Since 2008, her miniature artworks have been exhibited in international institutions, placing them firmly within the field of art. The jewel, in its reduced form, often embodies the artist’s core concerns—sometimes even the original idea, the concept, the starting point of a larger work. The infinitely small meets the infinitely large. Diane Venet passionately grants each jewel the status of a true artwork.
As proof, she enjoys creating dialogues between “her” miniatures and the monumental works of renowned artists: André Derain, Max Ernst, Frank Stella, Bernar Venet… Yet here, it is the intimate gaze and commitment of a woman that guide the narrative of the exhibition.
From love of the artist to love of art, this collection is a heartfelt tribute to creation—one that Diane Venet shares with grace and talent.