For The "Love" Of Contemporary Art, Cartier Will Go Very Far Indeed

The acclaimed international contemporary art fair, Art Basel, opened yesterday (June 4) in Basel Switzerland and will run until June 8. Started in 1970, this groundbreaking event has become one of the most important rendez-vous on the art world calendar bringing together leading art dealers, galleries, artists and collectors from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. It is the premiere event for anyone serious about contemporary art. The Luxe Chronicles will be attending Art Basel as a guest of Cartier (Groupe Richemont) for the launch of their 2008 "Love" collection.

Cartier has devised for the occasion an elaborate, multi-tiered campaign entitled "How Far Would You Go For Love"? Judging by this campaign, Cartier is obviously willing to go very far indeed for "Love". The luxury brand has commissioned works from no less than seven contemporary artists who work with an array of visual media: short films, photography, video and drawings. And if that weren't enough, they also commissioned one song from each of twelve singer-songwriters in a variety of languages and genres also available for download from the Cartier "Love" site along with brief interviews with the artists. I highly recommend the offerings of French singer Pauline Croze and Hong Kong R&B artist Khalil Fong (I had never heard an R&B-inspired song performed in Mandarin before and I can honestly say it was an intriguing discovery). While some of these artists are well-known in their native countries, few with the exception of Lou Reed have an international stature. One of the artists featured is famous for something other than music but I'll leave it to you to discover who it is for yourselves ...

While it has now become standard for luxury conglomerates to support the arts, Cartier through its patronage arm, Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, has been supporting contemporary art since as far back as 1984. It would be fair to say that they actually set the course for corporate sponsorship of contemporary art and that other luxury brands are merely following their lead. Of course, corporate patronage of any kind is not without controversy. While many see in the patronage efforts of luxury conglomerates nothing more that a cynical marketing ploy, I would retort that although it may not be a purely altruistic gesture, there are easier and more cost-effective ways of selling jewelry and fashion accessories than commissioning art works and otherwise supporting artists. It's also worth pointing out that the Cartier "Love" campaign offers an opportunity for the average person with an internet connection to discover artists and art forms they might not otherwise have ready access to. I urge you to check out these works and judge for yourself. Incidentally, I particularly liked the photographs of Yuko Takeyama. Also, the video montage created by Camille Henrot has a bitter-sweet and somewhat wistful quality to it that I found very compelling.

Like any good piece of art, the works I discovered via Cartier made me want to learn more about these artists in particular but also about their genre or art form. Would anyone happen to know where I can find more Manadarin R&B music for download? That I believe is the point. Were it not for the support offered to these artists by Cartier, I probably would not know about them myself and would not be in a position to share their work with you. A pretty good deal if you ask me. To discover the artists and their works, please visit the Cartier "Love" website. Also, the new 2008 "Love" jewelry collection includes the "Love Charity" bracelet, a set of 18 carat white and pink gold rings intertwined on a red silk cord for which Cartier is donating a percentage of sales to various children's charities. For more information about Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, please click on the link provided. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles