SHANGHAI – Simply in time for the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and France, Cartier has unveiled its newest exhibition at Shanghai Museum East.
The “Cartier, The Energy of Magic” exhibition marks the return of the Compagnie Financiere Richemont-owned jeweler to the state-owned museum after 20 years. In 2004, Cartier grew to become the primary jeweler to placed on a complete show of its work at Shanghai Museum.
This time round, the exhibition is showcasing over 300 items of bijou, watches, archives, and different treasures from Cartier’s assortment, juxtaposed with 34 Chinese language artifacts borrowed from Shanghai Museum, The Palace Museum, and different nationwide museums. A few of the items, akin to mysterious ones from the well-known Sanxingdui Ruins in Chengdu, have been not too long ago excavated.
The doorway to the exhibition on the newly-opened Shanghai Museum East department.
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In response to Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s director of picture, fashion and heritage, the exhibition is a mirrored image of how Chinese language artwork and Chinese language tradition has influenced Cartier since its inception.
Recounting Cartier’s greater than 170 years of historical past, Rainero stated that since Louis Cartier grew to become the top of the home within the nineteenth century, the corporate started exploring new terrains and types of magnificence to increase the Cartier aesthetic. Unable to journey to China on the time, the designers of the home drew inspiration from artwork books that documented Asian tradition, particularly Chinese language tradition.
“What makes that [China’s] inspiration very particular is the specificity of the Chinese language tradition, which could be very wealthy by way of symbols,” stated Rainero, breaking down the affect to classes akin to attachments between folks, hyperlinks with nature, legendary figures, and historic Chinese language poems.
“You may as well see a dialogue with Chinese language tradition within the materials or strategies used: the marquetry of chook’s feathers, as an example, using jade, and the affiliation of various colours like crimson and black. This shade mixture is now deeply related to the Cartier fashion,” Rainero added.
Rainero’s sentiment was echoed by Chu Xiaobao, director of the Shanghai Museum, who stated that the refined style of Chinese language antiques, gems and general “free-spirited designs” helped endow Cartier creations “with the colourful vitality of nature and a singular and long-lasting vitality.”
The exhibition, which is part of the official celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France, is open to the general public till Feb. 17, 2025. Guests could make reservations on the model’s WeChat Mini Program.
To supply guests a singular viewing expertise, Cartier partnered with Cai Guo-Qiang, the artist recognized for his gunpowder explosion artwork, to create the scenography and visible landmarks all through the exhibition.
Utilizing cutting-edge digital artistry, Cai fed into his AI mannequin “cAI” panorama work by Ni Zan, one of many 4 grasp painters of the Yuan dynasty, and merged the AI-generated work with stone carving and ceramic works from his hometown of Quanzhou in Fujian Province to supply a scene from a conventional Chinese language courtyard.
Cartier ambassador Gong Li posing in entrance of Cai’s scenography on the exhibition.
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Cartier’s ties with China and Chinese language tradition had been additionally highlighted at a jewellery showcase by the Bund. A day previous to the exhibition opening, Cartier hosted an intimate presentation of its “Nature Sauvage” excessive jewellery assortment.
The occasion was staged throughout the Bund Metropolis Corridor Plaza, a five-story neoclassical constructing that not too long ago accomplished its ten-year renovation, an initiative led by famend British architect David Chipperfield.
Cartier, taking residence inside three flooring of the constructing, created immersive suites that held over 400 items of its designs.
The showcase was divided into three main themes: “Twirl with the wind,” “Treasures of land,” and “Shapes of water.” A room for particular orders and classic Cartier Custom items rounded out the viewing journey.
Inside “Twirl with the wind”
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Items from its newest assortment, first unveiled in Could, drew essentially the most curiosity from the native press and Cartier devotees. The gathering featured animal species in uncommon and imaginary scenes.
