PEAKLIFE

Audemars  Piguet unveiled lounge by Sebastian Errazuriz featuring large-scale sculpture at Art Basel Hong Kong 2017.

Swiss Haute Horlogerie brand Audemars Piguet unveils a new lounge for Art Basel’s 2017 shows at the Art Basel in Hong Kong.  

Pursuing its commitment to creativity and innovation, Audemars Piguet formed a partnership with Art Basel, supporting the world’s premier Modern and contemporary art shows in Hong Kong, Basel and Miami Beach. Audemars Piguet is a global Associate Partner for Art Basel, presenting innovative lounge concepts in the Collectors Lounge since 2013.

This year the Chilean designer Sebastian Errazuriz delighted the clients and collectors with the creation of the lounge which is inspired by the Swiss watchmaker’s home in the Vallée de Joux.

Entitled Second Nature, his new design has evolved from the previous year’s ice formations to a space made mostly of warm materials such as wood, which reminds the visitor of the vast forests in the Jura Mountains, symbolising Audemars Piguet’s deep sense of history and endless growth.

The concept of Second Nature follows the development of a tree, displaying its stages of evolution during the three Art Basel shows. Just as its roots anchor and hold its spirit, the core of Audemars Piguet stems from its commitment to a rich heritage. Simultaneously, it is through the extending branches and leaves that a tree is able to move towards the future, determined to grow and evolve in spite of the harsh environment that surrounds it. Second Nature is a testimony to the brand’s past, present, and future but also to the act of recreating what nature generates so effortlessly, encouraging us to value and appreciate the world around us.

The tree sculpture exhibited in the lounge has been created using both traditional and cutting-edge methods, from traditional hand drawn sketches to digital fabrication devices such as computer milling and 3D printing. The lounge in Hong Kong showcases the initial stage of the tree with bare branches while the following editions of the show will see the lounge evolve with the seasons.

“We are delighted to continue working with Sebastian Errazuriz this year. Through his attention to detail and understanding of artistic excellence, technical mastery, tradition, innovation, and of course, nature, he has again achieved a design that transports the essence of the Vallée de Joux into the Audemars Piguet lounge” comments Olivier Audemars, Vice President of the Board of Directors.

The Audemars Piguet lounge at Art Basel will continue to exhibit an exceptional selection of timepieces curated by the brand’s Museum. Including both vintage and contemporary Audemars Piguet watches, the 2017 exhibition at the Collectors Lounge will focus on three distinct categories of watchmaking art: complications with Perpetual Calendars, decorations and finishing including the Florentine hammering technique applied on the Royal Oak Frosted Gold, as well as gem-setting savoir-faire, showcased by three exceptional High Jewellery timepieces.