Eastern Influence

Pascale Lepeu, director of the Cartier Collection, reflects on Cartier's latest exhibition, Cartier, the Power of Magic

- By Annabel Tan

Cartier and China have shared a rich and steadfast relationship over the past two decades. The French luxury watch and jewellery maison has held seven exhibitions in the country to date—the first being The Art of Cartier in 2004, in collaboration with the Shanghai Museum and put together by the Cartier Collection, featuring a curated assemblage of the brand’s most iconic jewellery, timepieces and precious objects that reflect its rich heritage and artistic evolution. Each of these exhibitions has contributed to an appreciation for cultural exchange and an exploration of the brand’s storied history.

Last November, 20 years after that very first exhibition in Shanghai, Cartier returned to the city to write the next chapter of this dialogue between the East and the West with its latest exhibition titled Cartier, the Power of Magic, which runs at Shanghai Museum East until February 17. This second exhibition in Shanghai, another collaboration between the Cartier Collection and the Shanghai Museum—one of the most important museums of ancient Chinese art in the world—takes a distinctly different approach from the first.

While The Art of Cartier was a monographic exhibition, Cartier, the Power of Magic presents a deeper analysis of the interaction between Cartier and the East, particularly China, by showcasing more than 300 pieces and archival documents from the Cartier Collection, the Cartier archives, the Shanghai Museum as well as other museums and institutions around the world. These come together in a lively dialogue on the magic and splendour of art and precious objects.

The exhibition also coincides with a milestone: 2024 marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and China, designated as the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism to promote mutual cultural and tourism exchanges.

CREATIVE SYNERGY