From Mat 1st to June 30th, Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) is hosting an expansive exhibition of around 300 examples of Cartier’s jewellery and watchmaking heritage. Curated by Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida’s architectural firm New Material Research Laboratory (NRML) and the Seoul Design Foundation, this exhibition offers a unique perspective on both Cartier’s archival collection and more contemporary pieces, showcasing the Maison through the perspectives of ‘Material Transformation and Color’, Forms and Designs’ and ‘Universal Curiosity.’

This exhibition is, of course, an incredible showcase of Cartier’s catalogue over the years — packed with rare and significant jewels and timepieces. But what sets it apart is the way it looks at these objects. Not just as a sum of carats and materials, but as creations in time, and reflective of it. Hiroshi Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida have gone to incredible care to place Cartier’s precious stones in history. Upon entering the space, guests are immediately confronted with a giant clock, running backwards. Necklaces are displayed on specially carved stands, where the wood is over 1000 years old. The second chapter takes place in a cavernous room piled with tuff, an ancient stone formed in submarine volcanoes. There’s also a more contemporary journey through time, with archival Cartier materials and historic jewels interspersed among more contemporary designs, as the exhibition focuses on Cartier’s works from 1970 until today.

This side-by-side pairing allows the viewer to see the evolution of Cartier’s style and how the past informs current practice. In many cases this is quite a subtle evolution — you need to check the catalgoue desccriptions to see if a necklace is from 1932 or 2022 — with the clearest ‘tells’ being the qaulity of the stones and some of the techniques utilised.

Another remarkable thing about this exhibition is that, thanks to the exceptional nature of many of the pieces, they have been loaned to the exhibition by the owners. While many of the attributions are to the Cartier Collection, plenty more are from private collections, some anonymous, and some named. It’s a telling reminder that as well as existing in time, these objects exist in the world and are worn and loved, as they should be.

Cartier, Crystallization of Time is open from May 1st to June 30th at Seoul’s Dongdaemun Design Plaza. For more information, visit the exhibition website.