The Stellar Odyssey series by Jaeger-LeCoultre has already proved to be the must-see showcase for watch fanatics this year. Examining time through art, science and most importantly watchmaking, it showcases the work of experts in each field to bring a rounded experience to the exhibition.
Following its debut at Watches and Wonders, the brand revealed that Dubai would host the first stop of its global tour with a dedicated selection of time-interpreting pieces. From installations to illusions, these pieces are the product of months of work by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s talented community of makers including visual artist Guillaume Marmin.
In his technical installation, Marmin uses a complex light-bending discipline to balance the laws of physics with the more artistic forms that come from light and images. Inspired by a futuristic immersive displays, Passengers: Through Time invites visitors to step into the hub and experience a transcendental world.
Jaeger-Lecoulture
Jaeger-Lecoulture
Jaeger-Lecoulture
Jaeger-Lecoulture
Like the other artisans, Marmin gathered research for his piece at the Jaeger Le-Coultre’s manufacturer in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux where he shadowed watchmakers and other crafters. Later, the artist visited the Institute of Planetology and Astrophysics in Grenoble to apply modern-day ideas of transactional light and time to his piece. The brand hopes it can continue to commission artists beyond The Stellar Odyssey with the ongoing Made of Makers programme, bringing new perspectives to timekeeping.
Ahead of the debut at the Dubai showcase, the visual artist reflects on the unique process behind making his art. “The challenge of this project is to make perceptible the relationship between the observation of the sky and the measurement of time,” Marmin explains. “From exchanges with astronomers and watchmakers, I imagined an art installation capable of transcribing the links that unite time and space. Its visual and sound content is constantly renewed thanks to a program established according to the geographical coordinates of each exhibition venue, the solar and lunar calendars, and the timetables.”
To find out more about the artists set to show at The Stellar Odyssey exhibitions, head to Jaeger-LeCoultre’s website.
