His Time Has Come

Lauded US contemporary artist Daniel Arsham talks about his unique way of democratising art, his ambassadorship with Hublot and pushing the boundaries of possibility in an Asia-exclusive interview with Yanni Tan.

- Yanni Tan

Art is for everyone," says Daniel Arsham, and we find it hard to disagree with him. To announce his ambassadorship with Hublot, the US contemporary artist has just debuted a spectacular sundial he sculpted out of snow in the Swiss mountain resort town of Zermatt, which is not just home to a chalet-style Hublot Boutique Zermatt, but also keeps time with Hublot clocks and operates the Hublot-Express high-speed chairlift.

Created on a 2,583m ledge in the shadow of the Matterhorn, one of the most iconic peaks in the world, the 20m installation named Light & Time is public, statement and ephemeral. Incredibly, it is a functioning outdoor timekeeper based on the shadows cast by the quartz crystal-shaped obelisk. As the sun moves throughout the day, the shadow cast by the central pointer indicates the time in the raked snow. The sundial also echoes Hublot's design language, integrating familiar cues such as the famous screws that hold the Big Bang's bezel in place.

While it is only visible from the top of the mountain, which art lovers would have to reach using the ski lifts, a video reel of this project can be found on Prestige's Instagram account @prestigesg. By the time you read this, the temporary installation could have partially melted away. Yet, it represents the very essence of his signature style and what he seeks to achieve through his works.

FOR THE PEOPLE