Art|Basel|2016: «Dan Holdsworth’s ‹Continuous Topography› series presented in Audemars Piguet’s ‹Ice Cycle Lounge› created by Sebastian Errazuriz»

All photographs by Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge all images icecycledly

When visiting one of Art|Basel’s most adorable places, the «Collectors Lounge» on 2nd Floor, it is very hard to ignore Audemars Piguet’s shiny and gleamy «Ice Cycle Lounge», the homebase of Switzerland’s oldest watchmaking company on world’s best art fair. The object in the spot of this photograph is the «ice tank», composed of illuminated acrylic rods which will flash to mimic the regular rhythm of a heartbeat – and has been designed by Sebastian Errazuriz who is, by the way, responsible for the booth’s complete design.

Short before the press conference is about to start the journalists celebrate a relaxed form of open queueing in a professional manner – ça veut dire that they pretend being interested in something else.

In the background there is one piece from Dan Holdsworth’s ‹Continuous Topography› series to be seen. Later, during the press conference, we will learn that Holdsworth’s pictures are the result of a mixture between analogously manufactured photographs and digital imaging. The artist says that everything is a matter of precision.

And that fits perfectly to skill #1 when it comes to watchmaking: precision. As a visitor of Audemars Piguet’s booth you can also gain a deep insight into the richness of detailed work that needs to be done when creating or repairing watches with mechanical clockworks:

It’s a bit of a surprise but all journalists made it to their seats unfrozen.

Audemas Piguet’s CEO, François-Henry Bennahmias, introduces the design of the «Ice Cycle Lounge» and it’s creator, Sebastian Errazuriz, to the audience.

The artist and designer Sebastian Errazuriz explains the way he works. He calls himself «a prodigious and obsessive workaholic». Or, according to Henry Ford’s most famous quote: «Before everything else, getting ready is the secret to success.» About his creation for Audemars Piguet specifically he announces: «I was humbled by the craftsmanship and ingenuity of the Audemars Piguet watchmakers in Le Brassus. the work they have been doing for almost two centuries is so incredible that any creative person who visits their installations will feel inspired to hold themselves to a higher standard of gravitas, beauty, and precision. the new lounge will hopefully become an experience for its visitors, managing to steal their attention and offering them a space to take a moment to think about time.»

According to his website: «Sebastian’s work has been featured in multiple magazine covers and portrayed in thousands press articles by the specialized art and design media. He has also received critical acclaim from The New York Times, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal, Art+Auction. In addition, his work has been featured in mainstream TV in BBC, CNN, ABC, and NY1. Multiple books and catalogues feature his projects and his first monograph The Journey of Sebastian Errazuriz was published and distributed internationally by Gestalten in 2012.»

The artist Dan Holdsworth’s explains that his photographs deal with the phenomenology of technology, place, and consciousness, and are reflective of his profound engagement with photographic history. Holdsworth’s scenes are shot on site at exotic locations around the world, chosen for their pre-historic, futuristic, or metaphysical resonance. According to Patricia Low’s website «it takes up to one year to produce, the otherworldly effects of his landscapes are achieved through both analogue and digital processes; his images never falsify information, but rather enhance the invisible ‹truths› that are normally imperceptible to the human eye but can be visually evidenced on film. Holdsworth’s work has been featured at museums such as Tate, Photomuseum Winterthur, and the Pompidou Centre.»

Monsieur François-Henry Bennahmias cannot help but stating that «the awe-inspiring detail with which Holdsworth’s images are created echoes the precision and accuracy at the heart of Audemars Piguet’s watchmaking.»

Jasmine Audemars, the VR-President of Audemars Piguet, states that «Dan’s work portrays the Vallée de Joux in the Jura Mountains, the watchmaking company’s home, in all its glory and perfectly embodies Audemars Piguet’s philosophy: ‹to break the rules, you must first master them›» She continues that «each of Holdsworth’s works reveals millions of minutely calibrated measurements, showing the surfaces of the Vallée de Joux.».

She also says that «bridging the worlds of science and art, each image is created with the latest photogrammetry and geomapping technologies. It is the result of weeks of meticulous fieldwork in conjunction with a research geologist, amassing hundreds of photographic images. Through a specially configured computer programme correlating these images to GPS coordinates, Holdsworth has created astonishing three-dimensional models of the landscape, which offer us a new form of what he calls ‹future archeology›».

François-Henry Bennahmias and Sebastian Errazuriz.

A soundproof room serving as a private vault is enveloped with custom-designed panels illustrating icicles, stalactites, and stalagmites and feature a series of timepieces on display. At this place you can hear the mechanically ticking clockworks as if they were directly implanted into you ears. This will definitively help to make plastic surgeons jobless. More about this amazing «Ice Cycle Lounge» on designboom.

More about Dan Holdsworth’s work on Audemars Piguet’s website.

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Art|Basel|2016: «An Incredible Evening With Douglas Gordon And Hans Ulrich Obrist At Fondation Beyeler»

All photographs by our staff photographer Andreas Baier
Click to enlarge fondationedly

Please note:
In order to honour this great event at its utmost deserved way and to give our readers a referable idea what it was all about; and how this amazing happening took place; the following description has been originally written in German and was sent through translation row afterwards: Step 1 – French; step 2 – Italian; step 3 – Swedish; step 4 – Chinese (Traditional); step 5 – English. Should you wish to find out the real meaning of the lines below you might like to decode by re-translating them backwards. We used this translation pool. We are pretty far from sure if this will work but we are more than happy to wish you good luck!

View out of the window at Fondation Beyeler

What a beautiful «Art dialogue» of the Foundation Beyeler. Hans Ulrich Obrist directly from London, due to the associated traffic problems, too late, which is why the artist Douglas Gordon invited replace public bath on the podium and make their short-term social seemingly absurd dialogue.

Selbstgeimkerten he took a cup of honey, let it go through the audience, is aufdaß all its costs time. When the challenge audience – originally scheduled for the end of the evening was not observed in all cases – beginning of the problem, rather than as usual, at the end of the event. The basic feeling dadaeske seems even now, by the public, because the first question is that you can easily have a response from Douglas Gordon ironic, but came back. «I’m the best political bees?» «No, bees can not pull so easily.» And before the audience has been able to explain what this sentence misunderstanding we finally managed to find a way to overcome hatred. Violence then laughed, not to mention the name, word and gesture of bad habits – like some other artists – turning Nazi greeting into absurdity good movie!

And now, simulation based on the social networking pioneer: tattoos. Old «show who you are – and wear» memory shirt. In this context, long no longer apply. This is quite uncomfortable to use and a «slap in the face» registry is now completed by a qualified tatto studios: personal conviction, a special word of perseverance or sometimes just a shopping list will be clearly visible and indelible stripes. When the surface of the skin, Douglas Gordon, which means «do so forever.»

Hans Ulrich Obrist is now entering the building; and the stadium. Soon after, he threw himself in a variety of content including: white – Hongjian control. In line with the rest of the event. Eventually, Douglas Gordon, turn the bottle choose to invite the audience on the stage, talk to them and ask them to sing their favorite button. The rest of the crowd joined in, which is a more spontaneous and whistling chord Summkonzert. Reward knowledge: Flaschendrehen seem to international practice.

Last, but not all of the participants in the photo, said the custom client. Great cinema!

Sam Keller, the director of Fondation Beyeler, introduces the audience right in the center of a quite bloody projection by the artist Douglas Gordon.

Douglas Gordon gets his mike right.

Since Hans Ulrich Obrist still sticks in a traffic jam at the airport Douglas Gordon invites Sam Keller to share some absurd thoughts with the public.

Douglas Gordon’s credo: «do so forever»

Hans Ulrich Obrist arrives.

Our staff-photographer loves photographs from people standing right in the projection light of a beamer.

Our staff-artist loves to create artistic portraits based on real photographs.

With the help of this little bottle friend Douglas Gordon convinces selected members of the audience to enter the stage.

A perfect performance by «The Mothers’ Whistlers».

Also the sound of a popping bottle cork is part of the sound collage, which is caught by Douglas Gordon and Jonas Mekas.

Hans Ulrich Obrist is documenting the performance.

A group shot of all members of the audience …

… conducted by the artist Douglas Gordon.

Real happiness has many faces.

The Fondation Beyeler also offers perfect conditions as a daylight studio for photography as well. Here: Sam Keller, director of Fondation Beyeler, and Jonas Mekas, the «godfather of American avant-garde cinema».

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