AP’s Evolving Art Basel Lounge

By Jonathan Bues

Sebastian Errazuriz is an artist and designer known not only for the thought-provoking nature of his work but for the craftsmanship required to actualize his exacting vision. Radical originality and painstaking handcraft are qualities Watch Journal readers recognize in the watchmaking of Audemars Piguet. After all, it was AP that commissioned a young Gérald Genta to create a dynamic stainless steel sport luxury watch with an iconic case shape, bezel, and bracelet. The Royal Oak was nothing short of revolutionary and began a trend that led to the popularization of the sport luxury category.

Sebastian Errazuriz at work. Courtesy of Audemars Piguet.

As a major sponsor of Art Basel, Audemars Piguet commissioned the Brooklyn-based Errazuriz to design a VIP lounge for the brand’s series of events at Art Basel Hong Kong, Basel, and Miami.

At the center of the bespoke lounge is a one-of-a-kind sculpture by Errazuriz designed to grow and change as it travels from Art Basel Hong Kong, which already took place, to the Basel (June 15-18) and Miami (December 7 to 10) editions of the international series. Between the shows, new buds and blooms will be added to recall the dynamic growth of an actual tree.

Detail of the sculpture. Courtesy of Audemars Piguet.

The sculpture’s concept was inspired by the creativity of Audemars Piguet and by the harsh, snow-swept climate of the Jura mountains, home to much of Switzerland’s finest watchmaking.

The complexity of Errazuriz’s sculpture cannot be overstated. It began as a single tree that was cut down and divided into uniform blocks, which the artist then hewed into pieces that could be fit together, not unlike a jigsaw puzzle, in a manner that resembles a tree from the mountainous landscape surrounding the Audemars Piguet manufacture.

The final product on display. Courtesy of Audemars Piguet.

Click here to watch a short video featuring Errazuriz’s sculpture.

Inside Errazuriz’s studio. Courtesy of Audemars Piguet.