Cartier

Following Cartier's exhibition 'Cartier Naturellement' in 2012, the King of Jewellers is delighted to join Art Dubai as a main sponsor this year with Le Visage Archaïque by Alessandro Mendini.
 
From March 20 to 23, 2013, Cartier and the FondationCartier pour l’Art contemporain present 'Le Visage Archaïque' by Alessandro Mendini, emerging and rising up like a monument from the heart of a central square. The work, a cross between a jewel and a votive offering, will sparkle with a thousand lights.
 
It will illuminate the contours of one of Paris' most prestigious streets, the rue de la Paix, and in particular, number 13: the historic address of the Maison Cartier.
 
Strolling down this reinvented street, the visitor will marvel at the jewels nestling in showcases and discover, at a series of exclusive salons, the design and manufacturing secrets that make Cartier unique.
 
'Le Visage Archaïque' by Alessandro Mendini is the epitome of all idols. Dated 2002, the work formed part of the FondationCartier pour l’Art contemporain collection. The gold mosaic endows the work with an aura of sacredness, so that the face is immediately recognised as a divine figure. On its neck, the same image is multiplied threefold on a much smaller scale in the form of three precious pendants, which the Cartier workshops created in gold at the artist's request in 2002. The role of these objects is kept deliberately ambiguous–somewhere between jewellery and votive offerings–in what remains an unanswered question.
 
A stunning collection of unique High Jewellery creations will be revealed on this occasion in a new and imaginative vision of Paris.