Source: Images and content by Jaeger LeCoultre @ Jaeger LeCoultre.
Revealing the Mysteries of Astronomical Timekeeping in Eight Chapters
Within the main exhibition pavilion, The Stellar Odyssey explores the creative and cultural universe of astronomically-inspired watchmaking in eight chapters. Visitors begin by discovering the very origins of time, the impact of celestial phenomena on the way we measure it, and the origins of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s expertise in developing astronomical complications. Each of the five following chapters leads visitors through a different cosmic phenomenon, displaying rare historic watches as well as timepieces from the most recent collections to illustrate how the Manufacture has continually reinterpreted the movements of the stars and planets in the form of intricate complications that represent, measure and even predict celestial events directly on the wrist.
Enriching the Stellar Experience
In the heart of the main pavilion beneath a geodesic dome, an immersive digital show takes visitors on a virtual journey through space and time, transporting them through infinite space and 13.7 billion years of time to reveal the mysteries of the cosmos in five episodes – from the origins of our known universe to the present day.
“Through a variety of immersive experiences, The Stellar Odyssey presents different interpretations of the cosmos and its relation to timekeeping, inviting visitors to understand it more deeply,” says Catherine Rénier. “As well as transmitting the savoir-faire of watchmaking through the Atelier d’Antoine workshops, these experiences include two special collaborations under our Made of Makers programme.”
Established for the purpose of enriching the dialogue that has long existed between horology, artisanship and art, Made of Makers is a programme of collaborations with artists and artisans from various disciplines outside watchmaking. It focuses on world-class creators who share Jaeger-LeCoultre’s values of creativity, expertise and precision and whose work explores new forms of expression through different and often unexpected materials and media. For The Stellar Odyssey, Jaeger-LeCoultre has commissioned projects by French multi-media artist Guillaume Marmin and world-renowned mixologist Matthias Giroud.
For his installation, Passengers: Through Time, Guillaume Marmin employs light, sound and movement in complex relationships that redefine traditional ideas of sculpture, space and time. As visitors walk through the work, infinite reflections and dizzying perspectives take them on a stellar excursion in which they are the protagonists, inviting reflection on the fundamental question of what time really is. For the Stellar Atelier, Matthias Giroud has created a menu of highly original soft cocktails inspired by the cosmos, taking his inspiration from the colours, temperatures and forms of the stars and planets, and blending familiar ingredients with intriguing scents and flavours from the Vallée de Joux.
In the Atelier d’Antoine, visitors can complete their journey of astral discovery by joining a hands-on Discovery Workshop that focuses on the wonder of astronomical complications and the celestial origins of time-keeping – a rare opportunity to gain deep insight and practical experience of this magical world.
The Stellar Odyssey will be presented from Wednesday 4th to Friday 23rd February 2023 at the Dubai Fountain, Downtown Dubai, open daily from 2:00pm to 12.00 am. Tickets may be booked online at https://online-booking.jaeger-lecoultre.com/domaine/theme12
