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Le Brassus, December 2017: Swiss Haute Horlogerie brand Audemars Piguet celebrated the unveiling of its 3rd Art Commission during Art Basel Miami Beach 2017. Spanning the size of a city block on the Miami Beach oceanfront, between 21st and 22nd streets next to Collins Park, Slow-Moving Luminaries created by artist Lars Jan, was presented on Tuesday, 5 December 2017. For the 3rd Audemars Piguet Art Commission, guest-curator Kathleen Forde was invited to oversee the project and work alongside the Los Angeles-based artist.
The Manufacture marked the début of its 3rd Art Commission with a press conference and cocktail party, which were hosted by Vice-Chairman of the Board, Olivier Audemars, and attended by over 500 guests. Visitors stepped in to the installation, a large-scale two-story pavilion on the Miami Beach oceanfront, and wandered through the labyrinth made of scrim and flora before continuing their journey to the upper deck, where the press conference took place.
Olivier Audemars, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors at Audemars Piguet, welcomed guests saying: ‘The most rewarding aspect of our engagement with art and the annual commission has been the thoughtful exchanges that we’ve been privileged to have with artists and curators. When Lars Jan came to visit our home in Le Brassus, he asked us about winters here, and we realised that it used to snow much more in the past than it does now, which highlighted a new connection for us to Miami Beach and its climate. It was also extremely interesting to see the inspiration that Lars took from learning about our legacy of watchmaking, particularly of creating complicated watches by hand, and the study of the philosophy of time. These encounters have challenged us to shift our vision not only of art, but also of ourselves. Artists see the world differently from the rest of us, and express their unique vision in their work. These artists have in turn have helped us see our own work and lives in a different light.’ Artist Lars Jan described the project and his collaboration with Audemars Piguet, saying: ‘It has been hugely rewarding to work with such a wonderful team. When I visited the home of Audemars Piguet in Switzerland, I was struck by its untouched beauty and the astonishing savoir-faire demonstrated by the watchmakers. The complexity of their work led me to view watches as philosophical objects that possess incredible mechanisms, calculations and gears that are in fact imperfect approximations of celestial happenings. Just like the sun and the moon, we are in constant motion, swinging like pendulums from a state of meditation to one of crisis. This notion lies at the core of this project’. Guest-curator Kathleen Forde said: ‘Lars’ work is a fusion of innovation and tradition. It encompasses very high-end and complex technologies and is rooted in ecology, philosophy, psychology, history and history of art, to name a few. All of this has been key to the collaboration with Audemars Piguet and transpires through Slow-Moving Luminaries. The way in which the Audemars Piguet team has supported Lars and myself, both intellectually and creatively, has been an authentic collaboration which has resulted in a truly impactful and experiential piece.’
Best known as an activist, artist, designer, filmmaker, photographer, director and writer, Lars Jan was selected by Audemars Piguet and 2017 guest-curator Kathleen Forde for his daring ideas that result in immersive and unclassifiable experiences. By providing the selected artists with financial support and access to the resources necessary to realise the finished artwork including advanced tools, craft expertise and sophisticated technology, Audemars Piguet hopes to help give life to ground breaking works of art.
During Art Basel in Miami Beach, Audemars Piguet also unveiled the final evolution of their 2017 booth concept in the Collectors Lounge, imagined by Chilean artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz. Inspired by forests native to the home of the Swiss watchmaker in the Vallée de Joux, the stand includes a large- scale tree sculpture created from wood that debuted at Art Basel in Hong Kong with bare branches earlier this year, grew seasonally from Winter to Spring at Art Basel in Basel, with the addition of buds at Art Basel in Miami Beach. The designer also presented his new lounge concept for 2018 which will complete the trilogy of his creative interpretations of the Manufacture’s origins and natural environment.
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Audemars Piguet Celebrates Slow-Moving Luminaries by Lars Jan During Art Basel Miami Beach 2017
