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November 11, 2019
Ryoji Ikeda's Talk Event Marks the Opening of Tokyo Midtown's "Something More Than a Watch" | AUDEMARS PIGUET
AUDEMARS PIGUET
Art Meets Artistic Watchmaking: A Creative Encounter, Manifesting Audemars Piguet's Avant-Garde Spirit
An exhibition titled "Something More Than a Watch," exploring Audemars Piguet's unique cultural and creative world through the dialogue between fine watches and art, was held at Tokyo Midtown. The venue featured "data-verse 2," an audiovisual work by Japanese artist Ryoji Ikeda. On October 19th, an opening event included a talk session with Ikeda.
Text by KOIZUMI Yoko | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi
Audemars Piguet's "Something More Than a Watch," Inspired by Art
Tokyo Midtown hosts "Tokyo Midtown DESIGN TOUCH" annually, with the concept of "enjoying design with all five senses." This year, its 13th iteration, Audemars Piguet was chosen as the partner.
Since becoming an associate partner of Art Basel in 2013, Audemars Piguet has implemented innovative projects at leading contemporary art shows worldwide. The company's fundamental approach to these artistic endeavors is "the creative dialogue between contemporary art and haute horlogerie (fine complex watches)."
Founded in 1875, Audemars Piguet remains the oldest luxury watch brand still managed by the founding families, Audemars and Piguet. The timepieces crafted in their Vallée de Joux workshops are not mere watches, but "artistic complex watches" designed to be equally beautiful in both form and movement.
One of the masterpieces born from this accumulation of expertise is the "Royal Oak." With its distinctive octagonal bezel, this model created the category of luxury watches in stainless steel for the first time in watchmaking history, and continues to convey its allure to this day.
Furthermore, the "CODE 11.59 by AUDEMARS PIGUET," introduced this year, marks a new chapter in contemporary premium watches. It is a model of unprecedented originality, featuring a case with a composite unit structure and a wavy-looking crystal, while its high precision and beautiful movement are beyond question. Its unisex design is also noteworthy. While the company has consistently pushed boundaries in its watchmaking, this endeavor successfully aimed for and achieved wearability across genders.
Audemars Piguet has consistently refined both artistry and technical prowess under a creative vision. This can also be expressed as the pursuit of creativity and innovation, and serves as proof of its enduring status as an avant-garde luxury watch brand. It is only natural that this stance resonates with contemporary art, which also constantly pursues the cutting edge.
And now. Audemars Piguet cultivates a creative dialogue between contemporary art and haute horlogerie by commissioning numerous artists to create works exploring themes of complexity and precision. Some of these works were exhibited at the "Something More Than a Watch" exhibition.
The work created by Ryoji Ikeda, one of these artists, is "data-verse 2."
From Ryoji Ikeda's installation.
Ikeda, born in Gifu Prefecture in 1966, is an electronic music composer and visual artist. Based on mathematical precision and aesthetics, he pursues the essential properties of sound and light, challenging the limits of digital technology to explore extremes and infinity. In "data-verse 2," he uses digital technology to transform public domain imagery into a journey that traverses scales from micro to human, macro, and ultimately, the cosmos.
"When creating my work, I break down digital data into pixels. While technically complex, this process of refining minute details allows for artistic freedom," Ikeda explained. He added, "I was impressed by the pursuit of precision at a high level in haute horlogerie. It resonates with the process in my own work."
Also showcased at the venue was the "CODE 11.59 by AUDEMARS PIGUET," featuring new leather straps in four colors—blue, brown, gray, and pearl. The straps, extending straight from the lugs to the extra-thin bezel, further enhanced the case's captivating design.
