Scenographies
Each year, the GPHG's Geneva exhibitions give rise to an ongoing and renewed scenographic thought process. How does one display up to 90 contemporary timepieces – small, complex and secret objects, concentrated blends of art, design, expertise and techniques – in a way that is neutral, understated, original, immersive and educational? Neutral, because it's a competition; understated, so as to give the exhibits their rightful place; original, to be thought-provoking; immersive, to offer visitors the most direct possible experience; and educational, because watchmaking is a complex and fascinating world that delights the mind.
This scenographic reflection was initiated in 2014 by the GPHG management in collaboration with Studio preorder & soldout, founded by two young designers then freshly graduated from HEAD Genève, Alexandre Burdin and Mathias Zieba. It took off in 2017 with the arrival of Xavier Dietlin and his invention of free access, making it possible to abandon the glass-domed displays in traditional shop windows while providing a patented security system.
Each year, the fruits of this collaborative effort are new display elements pushing creative boundaries, inviting visitors to discover the timepieces without physical barriers, rethinking the way people move around and interact with the space, while introducing an overall narrative that brings the objects to life (discover the video).
A concern for sustainability is also omnipresent in the thinking behind these exhibtions. The use of metal as the predominant material is deliberate, as it can be recycled and stands the test of time and handling. The display elements are designed to be stored, adapted, reused, hired out or loaned.
Act I, the 2017 "Table" concept turned the world of watch exhibitions upside down by presenting 72 watches on a long rectangular table free of any protective glass. The exhibition invited unprecedented closeness to the exhibits and an entirely new approach to space, presenting the diversity and teeming creativity of watchmaking in the form of a grand watchmaking ‘banquet’. This first act was staged at the Palazzo Clerici in Milan and at the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneva (MAH).
Palazzo Clerici in Milan, 2017
The 2018 "Arches" exhibition rethought how the public walked past the displays, as well as the narrative and the atmosphere, by arranging the watches on seven square tables embellished with high golden arches inspired by the windows of the MAH's palatial halls that were the setting for the exhibition. These majestic elements accentuating the mystical dimension of time measurement were also used for a presentation at the Arsenal of Venice.
Arsenal of Venice, 2018
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Geneva (MAH), 2018
In 2019, “Tensions” illustrated complexity, tense equilibrium and the relationship with cosmology, through wire structures suspended on seven round tables. These scenographic elements – incorporating iPads to present the characteristics of the pieces on display – were used for exhibitions in Geneva and Mexico City.
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Geneva (MAH), 2019
Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Geneva (MAH), 2019
The year 2020 featured the "Lampes Déportées" project. Thanks to an evolution of Dietlin Swiss Showcases technology, the watches were lifted off the tables and lit by a single central lamp. This exhibition travelled around Switzerland during the time of the pandemic, with stopovers in Bern, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva.
Musée International d’Horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds (MIH), 2020
In 2021, "Parcours" invited visitors to follow a winding path through Geneva's Musée Rath, presenting the watches on simple metal strips extending from the floor to provide an understated, dynamic experience.
Musée Rath Geneva, 2021
"Minimalism", in 2022, used the four basic shapes – round, oval, square and rectangular – to build four structures with clean, contemporary lines reflecting the "white box" ambience of the Musée Rath that was hosting the exhibition in Geneva. The whiteness of the structures made them blend into the room, while the watches seem suspended in space.
Musée Rath Geneva, 2022
The "Sculptural" concept, in 2023, presented the watches within two large, spectacular red structures composed of metal circles. One was reminiscent of a whale skeleton, the other of a gigantic wave – two symbols linked to the origin of the world and the perpetual movement of life. These structures invited an instinctive and archetypal understanding of the art of watchmaking.
Musée Rath Geneva, 2023
The playful and adaptable 2024 scenography is designed to convey watchmaking’s inherent dynamism and momentum. This concept illustrates not only mechanical precision, but also the perpetual energy driving innovation and horological creativity. Each module incorporates a lighted channel and a system of mirrors, subtly revealing the back of the watches on display.
Rath Museum Geneva, 2024