Take a walk on the wild side at this year's Art Dubai and step inside the magical menagerie Cartier has created within the Madinat Jumeirah. Inside the dedicated Cartier Naturellement pavilion, lush green plants and delicate orchids carpet the floor, while the twinkling eyes of bejeweled haute-joaillerie animals survey you from all angles.
The fantasy dreamscape was the brainchild of Christophe Ponceau, a French landscape artist who managed to capture the essence of the luxury brand which has used flora and fauna motifs since its establishment in 1847.
From the house's iconic prowling wild-cat jewellery to a modern-day platinum parrot ring with a mother-of-pearl beak, Cartier's hallmark continues to strengthen with every new collection. One particularly impressive piece on display at Art Dubai is a multi-strand pearl Panthère de Cartier necklace with a resplendent oval cut yellow sapphire at its heart, surrounded by diamonds and emeralds.
"Cartier has always been passionate about nature" says the president and chief executive, Bernard Fornas. "And today with the Cartier Naturellement creations we return to reinforce again this passion by creating a dream of nature, and a nature of a dream, with sumptuously beautiful, thrilling and wild pieces of jewellery"
Ponceau's backdrop is the fitting setting for Aquarium, a large-scale pearl and jewel centrepiece crafted by the master jeweller's ateliers in France.
"Beatriz Milhazes was commissioned two years ago for this unique artwork, by the Fondation Cartier." says Fornas "The Brazilian artist was a choice of the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art - a foundation that has existed from more than 28 years and is totally independent from the house."
"It's a mobile made with precious and semi-precious stones. The artist had carte blanche to do this creation and she worked closely with our workshop, specifically regarding the choice of the stones."
Fifteen rods of varying lengths, the longest measuring nearly two metres, hang like stalactites from a fretted metal halo. Akin to a three-dimensional Milhazes painting; colourful orbs, reflective discs and vibrant jewels in symmetrical patterns are suspended in perfect balance.There's also a touch of the celestial about the work with crystal stars and large planet-like rings floating in their Cartier solar system.
Although visitors are encouraged to come and admire the installation, they are not invited to bid for it, says Fornas. "It is just for exhibiting, there is no value per se, and it is not for sale." he says "The creation is unique and owned by the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain."
As a global art patron, Cartier was keen to jump on board as a main sponsor of Art Dubai this year, not least because the event provides a fantastic career springboard for burgeoning artists in the MENASA (Middle East North Africa South Asia) region.
"For Cartier, patronage is not just a one-time deal based on current trends and movements, but an enduring choice that is constantly reaffirmed." says Fornas "While we see arts patronage as a communication tool, and even an undertaking towards the wider community, it nonetheless revived a tradition inherited from the Renaissance - of the defender of the arts, art of our times, living artists and contemporary creators - so as to learn from them and give to them in return. Prestigious platforms such as Art Dubai 2012 are ideal venues to showcase Cartier's commitment and bring art to the attention of the widest public, which is for the benefit of artists."
These are not just empty words, and installations like Milhazes's are a far cry from cold-hearted commercial endeavours or exercises in brand promotion by Cartier. Indeed the house has supported the arts since 1984 when a creative foundation was established under the guidance of then international president, Alain Dominique Perrin, and with the direction of Hervé Chandès on the heels of a suggestion from the artist César. Although none of the founders could have predicted it at the time, the venture contributed greatly to setting new standards in French corporate philanthropy in its brief, three-decade history.
Since 1994, the organisation has been housed in an utra-modern, light-filled Parisian building designed by the architect Jean Nouvel, which continues to serve as a creative space for contemporary artist, photographers and even fashion designers to meet and exhibit their work to the public.
"In 1999, the New-York based artist Sarah Sze worked for a month, transforming the exhibition spaces to produce Everything that Rises Must Converge, an installation that was both monumental and delicate and which now forms part of the collection." says Fornas "In 2000, William Eggleston photographed the deserts of Utah, Arizona and California for a thematic exhibition and the following year, he took an impressive series of photographs in Kyoto for his solo exhibition. Then in 2004, the journalist-photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon travelled around the world and made a series of 10 films, each devoted to a different large city."
Commission a diverse range of art works will remain at the heart of the foundation's activities going forward, says Fornas; allowing future artists the same creative freedom that Cartier's own master craftsmen enjoy in designing other-worldly haute joaillerie pieces's success and sustainability.
"During this process, the relationship developed between the foundation and the artist goes beyond mere patronage." he says "It becomes a truly creative partnership, from the conception to the execution of the work. It gives the artist the opportunity not only to create something original, but to explore new horizons: working on a different scale, bringing a project to fruition, realising a dream.."
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Visit Cartier Naturellement at Art Dubai from March 21-24. The maison's boutique in Mall of the Emirates will also house the exclusive pieces from March 27 - April 15. For more details go to www.cartier.com
For more information about Art Dubai 2012 go to www.artdubai.ae