Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer Audemars Piguet has promoted its new public exhibition entitled Shaping Materials, which runs until 16 June 2024 at Portrait Milano in the heart of Milan.
This immersive journey into the Manufacture’s universe pays tribute to the daring and innovative spirit that has driven generations of watchmakers and craftspeople to push new ideas forward and shape Audemars Piguet’s world.
Shaping Materials tells the story of Audemars Piguet’s relentless quest for creative techniques and designs, starting with materials and how they are transformed into watch components before being finished by skilled artisans. While some metals, such as gold and platinum, are intrinsically precious, other materials, such as steel, titanium, carbon and ceramic, have been made precious through the meticulous work of craftspeople.
The exhibition also highlights how the brand has forged its own path in terms of design form, often drawing inspiration from the wider cultural world as well as architectural and artistic movements.
Divided into five rooms, the exhibition showcases a selection of heritage and contemporary timepieces, including some of the brand’s latest creations and a series of watches for the slenderest wrists that have marked the Manufacture’s history in terms of miniaturisation, design, material innovation or gemsetting. The displays will be accompanied by edutainment content for total immersion and fun.
In dialogue with Milan’s history and culture
Playing with light, the reflective surface of the exhibition’s highly contemporary golden pavilion interacts with the Baroque architecture of the former archiepiscopal seminary, which frames Piazza del Quadrilatero, the central square of Portrait Milano. Over time, this majestic building became a pillar of the city, housing a library, a printing press, a hospital and even a school.
Recently restored by the architects Michele de Lucchi and Michele Bönan, it is now home to Portrait Hotel, as well as restaurants and high-end boutiques. Piazza del Quadrilatero, once enclosed within the walls of the seminary, has been transformed into an inclusive and lively space open to the city. By engaging with its surrounding, the pavilion dialogues with the history, culture and design of Milan, a city that has played a key role in the brand’s development over the years, and with which it shares a strong commitment to both heritage and innovation.
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Press release and photos courtesy of Audemars Piguet
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