``Cartier, Crystal of Time'' has been held at the National Art Center, Tokyo since October 10nd (Wednesday), where you can experience Cartier's timeless world of beauty. In September, before the event, we spoke to Hiroshi Sugimoto + Tomoyuki Sakakida of the New Materials Research Institute, who designed the venue, about creating a space where you can appreciate time while traveling around.

A sense of beauty seen from an antagonistic world

When Kyoto people say, ``In the last battle,'' they are referring to the Onin War, and the book that Goldsmith opens in Florence, ``Here is a sample of goldsmithing,'' is a Renaissance portrait painting. How far back in history can we reach the origins of Cartier, the Crystal of Time?

This exhibition will be constructed, analyzed, and integrated from a completely different angle than previous Cartier exhibitions. The exhibition shows how Cartier's innovative approach has transcended time and brought its presence to the present day. While sincerely responding to the original question, we have arranged eye-opening devices and arrangements, and are guided into a space where we can not only freely move back and forth through the timeline, but also interact with Cartier's watches and jewelry. Ru. At first glance, the structure looks like a quiet and well-organized space, but it offers a Japanese sense of aesthetics that stands in contrast to Cartier's sophisticated style. Tomoyuki Sakakida of the New Materials Research Institute (hereinafter referred to as "New Souken"), who was asked three years ago to design the white space of the National Art Center, Tokyo, which is the venue for the exhibition, is finally beginning to see the full picture. I visited Tomoyuki.

On the wall next to the window, there are many necklace designs traced to actual size, with the Cartier logo at the bottom center. Color copies of each venue's images were lined up on the table, and next to it was a décolletage carved by a Buddhist sculptor. Of course, what caught my eye was this torso made of Jindai cedar, Yaku cedar, and Jindai zelkova, whose angle and height were custom-made to match each necklace. A portion of the Buddha statue, with its wood grain gently folded, is used as a pedestal. It conveys just the right amount of weight and the elegance of wood.

"Originally, Shinsoken proposed the venue design for this exhibition based on the concept that going back will reveal the future. The problem was where to place the focus." Shinsoken is an architectural office run by Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida, and this year marks the 11th anniversary of its establishment. Adhering to the paradoxical philosophy that ``old materials are the newest,'' the building is modern yet deeply rooted in the characteristics of the materials, and uses old construction methods to instill a new Japanese aesthetic.

``Sugimoto knows that by stretching the scale of history, we see something different.It was only in the 170s and beyond that Cartier went beyond its 46-year history and headed toward the birth of the earth 1970 billion years ago. It can be said that we have delved deeper into Cartier's intention to show the future." One of the highlights of the venue will be how the composition of stone, wood, soil, and cloth contrasts with the beauty of the jewelry.

``After a journey to discover minerals underground, not only are gemstones recognized as miraculous stones that have crystallized over hundreds of millions of years, but they are also recognized as engraved stones by using stones and wood with gemstones. "You can see time in the grain of the stones and the growth rings. I think the contrast between the charm of simple materials and the jewels brings out the best in each," he says.

Shinsoken is particular about Japanese wood and Japanese stone. It is the most adapted to Japan's natural features and climate; trees are coniferous, and stones are tuff. Oya stone, which is essential to the construction of Shinsoken, takes advantage of its properties and appears in the form of blocks arranged in a parallel grid pattern.

"Oya stone is a soft stone that can be cut with a saw. It is porous, and the magmatic activity is reflected in the stone's expression. In other words, it is a stone that allows you to see the passage of time. It is a stone that simply conveys the beauty of its primitive nature. This leads to dialogue with things,” says Sakakida. A new attempt other than wood and stone is a fabric called ``Ra,'' which was developed by Kawashima Textile Cercon. There are two types of cloth: a deep black curtain that represents the deep underground, and a transparent cloth that forms a pillar of light. Kawashima Orimono Cercon, which is also involved in the restoration of Shosoin Treasure Dyed and Fabrics and originated in Nishijin, Kyoto, uses the traditional technique of Hikihaku to add sparkle and create gradations in the light that passes through it. A double weave called tsuuori was used.

The only way to see how the materials mentioned above are combined to create a space with watches and jewelry is to actually experience it at the venue, but each of the core Cartier collections is made with these materials. Not only does it stand out in the middle of the day, but it also gives us a glimpse of the eternal world. Once you see the Mystery Clock and Prism Clock in the ``Prologue,'' you will never forget them.

The Mystery Clock, created in the 1920s by Maurice Couet, a watchmaker working at Cartier's workshop at the young age of 28, is now over a century old. Even though I should have already known about this mechanism, where only the long and short hands keep track of time in a transparent space, I still end up being fooled. The long and short hands are attached to two crystal discs, and the discs themselves rotate. From the beautiful thimble model of the hands to the exotic Oriental decoration, it's hard to imagine where the movement is housed. Twelve of these clocks are placed inside the pillars of the Room of Time. The ``Prologue,'' filled with curiosity and worthy of ``Cartier, The Crystal of Time,'' will be the most impressive space in this exhibition.

"Cartier, Crystal of Time"
Date: October 2019, 10 (Wednesday) - December 2, 12 (Monday)
Closed: Every Tuesday (open on October 10nd (Tuesday/holiday) and closed on October 22rd (Wednesday))
Opening hours: 10:18 to 20:30 (until XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. every Friday and Saturday. Entry is until XNUMX minutes before closing)
Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo Special Exhibition Room 2E
Admission fee (on the day): General 1,600 yen, University students 1,200 yen, High school students 800 yen *Free for junior high school students and younger and those with a disability certificate (including one accompanying person).
https://Cartier2019.exhn.jp

→Continue to Cartier's new creation (Part 2)