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Aquarium
Beatriz Milhazes
In response to a commission from Cartier, Beatriz Milhazes imagined and designed an
installation made up of suspended elements and decorative motifs. Composed of 15
strands, the longest of which measures almost 2 metres, Aquarium is a richly decorated
mobile in monumental dimensions, crafted in 2010 by the Ateliers Cartier.
Inspired by the motifs and colours of her paintings and collages, the mobile was created
with exquisite attention to detail. Choosing from a vast array of precious and semiprecious
stones and pearls to adorn this work, Beatriz Milhazes took the same care as
she does when choosing the colors in her painting palette: diamonds, rubies, opals,
topazes, sapphires, turquoises… Rosettes, abstract and floral ornaments, geometric forms,
rhythmic motifs and arabesques are associated with unexpected materials such as resin and
metal to compose a fantastic, theatrical work that is both pure and surprising.
Aquarium was exhibited at Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach in 2011. The work will
also be presented at Art Dubai in March 2012.
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