tokujin yoshioka: cartier time art exhibition at bellerive museum

cartier time art, directed by tokujin yoshioka
bellerive museum, ein haus des museum für gestaltung zürich, switzerland
august 26, 2011 - november 6, 2011



'cartier time art', an exhibition directed by tokujin yoshioka at bellerive museum, ein haus des museum für gestaltung zürich
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka


bellerive museum, ein haus des museum für gestaltung zürich presents 'cartier time art', an exhibition of timepieces from french manufacturer cartier
and directed by japanese designer tokujin yoshioka. guiding visitors through the company's legacy of watchmaking, the exhibition showcases the
largest number of cartier timepieces ever displayed in public, with 158 historical artifacts from the brand's collection. the museum bellerive will be
the first venue of the exhibition's international tour.

dating back as early as 1874, the lineage traces the introduction of 12 movements and 17 fine watchmaking timepieces. it then finishes in the present
with the ID-one, a concept watch which offers a look into cartier's forthcoming productions. the space created by tokujin explains the aesthetic and
technological advancements over this time period with projections of 3D films, which enlarge and illuminate the time-telling mechanisms.
in this presentation, he blends cartier's tradition of elegant craftsmanship with its avant-garde ideas for the future.



installation view
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



installation in process
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



alternate view
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



detail
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka



large portique mystery clock
image © cartier collection, n. welsh


produced in 1923, this clock is one of the oldest timepieces in the exhibition. made primarily from gold, platinum and rock crystal,
it is the first in a series of six which were produced in the form of a shinto shrine 'gate' and features a double-barrel movement,
which can be accessed by removing the billiken figure on top.



cartier ID-one concept watch
image © joel von allmen


the 'cartier ID-one concept watch' is one of the contemporary watches in the exhibition. not commercially produced as of yet,
it has a mechanical movement with automatic winding and thus does not require any adjusting. it is composed of 177 pieces,
including a sapphire crystal and caseback, as well as a folding clasp in 18-carat white gold.



exhibition signage
image courtesy of tokujin yoshioka


tokujin directed a previous exhibition of the cartier collection, titled 'memories of cartier creations', which took place
at the tokyo national museum's hyokeikan gallery in 2009. see designboom's coverage of the past show here.