Tate Gallery Joins the Latest Chapter of the Swatch Art Journey
The colourful collaboration brings seven new masters, including Matisse and Miró, onto the wrist.
The latest chapter of the art-watch series brought us to the fabulous Tate Modern in London, where we got to view up-close two of the pieces featured: Two Women Holding Flowers (1954) by Fernand Léger and The Snail (1953) by Henri Matisse. It is of course glib to say that the watches hold the same essential experience as communing with the originals, but the spirit of the references is present and more than faithful. LEGER’S TWO WOMEN HOLDING FLOWERS focuses on the figures and energetic colour overlays, while MATISSE’S SNAIL captures the considered composition of colours on a transparent strap.
Indeed, colour is the lynchpin of the new Swatch X Tate Gallery collection. TURNER’S SCARLET SUNSET makes creative use of the calendar wheel to shift the sun’s shade every day, while CHAGALL’S BLUE CIRCUS brings the spectacle of the big top to life with a balancing act that props a moon and an eye at the ends of the hour and minute hands. On both the Barns-Graham and Miró models, hour markers are printed on the glass to add depth and dimension to their striking dials. Finally, the hypnotic BOURGEOIS'S SPIRALS is enabled with SwatchPAY! (in selected markets) to facilitate payments at the flick of the wrist.
The man behind these artful accessories as well as Swatch’s liaisons with preeminent museums and artist estates is Carlo Giordanetti, CEO of the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai and a key member of the brand’s Product and Design Committee. After a wildly entertaining evening involving a whistle-stop tour of the Tate Modern and an immersive “secret maze” installation where we first discovered the seven Swatch X Tate Gallery timepieces, we caught up with Giordanetti the morning after to discuss Swatch’s almost four decade-long art journey.
Swatch’s affinity with the art world began back in 1985. How has this relationship evolved over the years?
It has definitely been an interesting journey. At the beginning, the approach was spontaneous: get artists to bring something new into the world of watches. That has always been the mission of Swatch. Artists create what we cannot conceive. It’s what they do, think outside the box, which is great for inspiring newness. And we immediately knew that we could speak to both street artists and museum luminaries alike. We also understood early on that an artist is not just someone who’s a painter; they could be a fashion designer, a film director, and so on. We’ve had filmmakers Akira Kurosawa and Pedro Almodóvar, as well as architect Renzo Piano, design Swatch watches. Our philosophy is giving people the freedom to express themselves.
So that was how it started. Then in 2011, we launched the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai, which was a way to bring art into the world of Swatch not through products but through people. Basically, the project is about the artists themselves, and it was a great way for us to learn how they think, watch how they work, and observe the kinds of projects they do. Then in 2018, we started approaching museums to collaborate with. That was a big shift perspective-wise, because now we are the ones with a wide canvas that needed to be filled with artists’ works. So that’s how the relationship has evolved.
Why do Swatch timepieces make such good canvases for artists?
Because we have no rules. That’s the secret. A watch is an object with a small, confined space, but within that space the artists have complete freedom to do whatever they want.
Swatch Art Journey puts iconic masterpieces on our wrists. What is the goal in doing that?
To bring art to the people, and make it a part of everyday life. That’s the aspiration. And that’s why museums love working with Swatch, because it’s a great way of taking a painting off the wall, putting it on the wrist, and sending it out into the streets. At the same time, Swatch has about 400 stores worldwide, which amplifies a brand like Tate; we take Tate beyond London, and present it to the world.
The latest chapter of Swatch Art Journey features seven artists from the Tate galleries. Do you have a personal favourite from among them?
I have two, actually. The first is Barns-Graham, just because, for me, she was an artist that I did not know of and got to be familiar with through Tate. Then, of course, Léger. The way he uses colour is very Swatch, and I love the idea of having the woman’s eyes looking right back at me.
There is a growing interest for mechanical timepieces among young watch enthusiasts. How do you keep projects like Swatch Art Journey exciting for them?
First of all, Swatch also has mechanical timepieces, so they do come to us for that sometimes. Swatch Art Journey takes a different approach; it’s the idea of bringing a piece of art into your life and living with it. Most people today are unable to afford a Miró or Chagall. Even if they buy a piece from a newer artist, it’s going to be hung up on the wall at home. With Swatch Art Journey, you can take art out onto the street with you. That is what people love, and you see it all the time with limited edition art T-shirts and the like. Wearing them sends a message about who you are and invites conversation, and I think that’s a great thing for young people.
Our philosophy is giving people the freedom to express themselves.
Discover the new Swatch X Tate Gallery collection here.
