Cartier to host exhibition at Salone del Mobile Milano
Celebrating the birth of the new Juste un Clou and Écrou de Cartier collections, Cartier will be hosting an exclusive exhibition at the annual Salone del Mobile Milan fair between 5th to 9th April 2017.
Titled "When the Ordinary becomes Precious", the exhibition will be hosted at Garage Sanremo, a landmark on Via delle Fosse Ardeatine in the heart of the city.
A collaborative effort between Cartier and New York-based Puerto Rican visual artist Desi Santiago, the exhibition space will be transformed into a gold themed interior to express a dialogue between mechanics and jewellery, crafts and design.
The golden garage-like space will also feature Cartier grooms in overalls, tools of the trade scattered amongst drawers laden with jewellery and a car suspended from the ceiling with a golden liquid oozing to the floor.
That aside, in conjunction with the set designed by Desi, Cartier has also collaborated with artist Cerise Doucède for a visually stunning art showcase that draws inspiration from the new Juste un Clou and Écrou de Cartier jewellery.
An epitome of something ordinary tools appropriated into haute joaillerie, the two new jewellery collections are translated into a pair of suspended works that are composed of thousands of nails and nuts and bound together by transparent wires mid-air (see above).
And to finish it up, here we have an exclusive short Q&A with the artist Desi himself to talk about this work with Cartier.
What was your idea in developing this concept?
My idea was to create a seductive experience where the collection would be showcased in an engaging and entertaining way. The Cartier team secured an amazing space so we worked together to develop a concept connecting it to the collection which resulted in The Golden Cartier Garage.
Why a golden Cartier Garage?
Since the collection’s design is derived from everyday hardware elements like the nail and bolt, I wanted to use the Garage San Remo as the setting to showcase that inspiration.
Taking elements of a garage - such as a car and it’s internal parts - and transforming them into gold, I decided to create a non-linear narrative where the whole space felt as precious as Cartier jewellery itself.
Can you share some anecdotes or inspirations on this thematic?
Because I grew up in an industrial town on the east coast of the United States, I’ve always been fascinated with machines and their moving parts. Working with Cartier on this installation was a way for me to reconnect with that romance.
Exhibition Photography: Cartier
Desi Santiago Portrait: desisantiago.com
