Hermes The Gift of Time, a traveling art installation representing time, is currently showing at Singapore’s Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, after its presentation in Hong Kong. This exhibition celebrates 175 years of brand heritage with a playful flourish. The Gift of Time is a precious ingredient in the creation of an Hermes object. Created by American artist Hilton McConnico, one of the brand’s long-time collaborators, this exhibition tells the story of the history of Hermes pictorially, as you walk along a circular dreamlike space in a collection of seven mysterious rooms.
Time is our ally. It is the time it takes to do things well, for beauty to be unveiled. It is also a time of discovery, a time to play, a time of pleasure. McConnico conceptualised and designed seven rooms of whimsical artistic installation that represent Hermes’ journey of time through multisensory poetic concept discoveries and experiences of time. Each themed room contains Hermes artefacts, alongside curious sights of a turtle tree, a giant top frozen in mid-air and more surreal scenes. In McConnico’s words, the “Hermes time does not try to master time but rather offers us the time to see and understand this ever changing world”.
When I first heard of the exhibition, I thought it was going to be a showcase of watches designed by Hermes, but boy was I gravely mistaken. As I wandered from one dreamy room to the next, this exhibition turned out to be the Hermes equivalent of Alice’s journey through Wonderland – where beauty, functionality, practicality and pure indulgence are in perfect harmony. Let me take you with me along the different dreamlike spaces, but of course it’s best if you can take the time to contemplate, ponder, immerse in the poetry and appreciate the exhibition in person.
1. Begin your journey at THE ORIGIN OF TIME – Never forget : The first role of Light is to make the Dark more beautiful, and not to measure the days.
2. Take the time to wander and ponder at FREE TIME. Watch Hermes videos, read quotes in French, English and Chinese. Keep your watch in The Gift of Time twill pouch to relax and not be pressure by time constraints.
3. TIME SUSPENDED Le Temps Suspendu – Immerse in the meticulous precision of Hermes watchmakers.
4. TIME BALANCE – Night after Night, the top span and danced on the table to the rhythm of a beating heart, tracing its circle with the precision, patience and pace of the second hand on a clock face.
5. STROKE OF TIME – The Hermes leather bag is handcrafted and polished till shine with time. Touch and feel the Hermes Leather Cat jigsaw in different colours and textures.
6. IMAGINARY TIME –Who ? When ? How ? Where ? STOP. Escape into the imaginary, for a moment. Take a seat and dedicated a moment of sharing.
7. The GIFT OF TIME – Beneath the branches of an ageless tree, after thousands of years of deep though, Time concluded that there were no end.
After walking through all the seven spaces, I find the installation pieces in this Hermes The Gift of Time exhibition to be exceptional and beautifully express the artistry of Hermes. My fave spaces were the “Time Balance” room and the “Stroke of Time” room. :D I was absolutely smitten by the spinning carousel-like top (so magical and fun!) in the former room, as well as the jigsaw cat door made up of mosaic leather pieces in the latter room. To be honest, I have never been much of this brand’s groupie —unlike most tasteful chicas that I know of, and seriously I don’t really care much for the ubiquitously coveted bags. However, I genuinely appreciate the overall creative direction of Hermes (which I find inspiring most of the time) and truly enjoy this showcase. Please try not to miss this wonderful exhibition.
Hermes The Gift Of Time Exhibition Singapore at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station opens on August 1st-12th, from 11am to 9pm. Admission is free. Check out more visual goodies at Hermes The Gift Of Time website (many beautiful animations/videos there!).
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