The guests – including one of the Arab world’s most exciting young acting talents, British-Lebanese actress Razane Jammal – enjoyed a special live performance by the acclaimed DJ Amémé.
Staged in a spectacular pavilion ‘floating’ on the waters of the Dubai Fountain, with Burj Khalifa as its backdrop, The Stellar Odyssey leads visitors on a journey through time and space, celebrating the relationship between astronomical phenomena and the measurement of time. Dubai was chosen as the first stop on a tour of major world cities, which will continue throughout 2023 and beyond.
“The Stellar Odyssey is a deeply immersive experience, inviting you to explore the wonders that we can observe in our night sky and their symbiotic relationship with the art of watchmaking,” said Catherine Rénier. “Because the ancient cultures of the Middle East played a seminal role in the origins of time measurement, we are truly honoured to begin the world tour of this exhibition here in Dubai.”
Among the highlights of The Stellar Odyssey is a new art installation, Passengers: Through Time by the French visual artist, Guillaume Marmin, which makes its world debut in Dubai. Specially commissioned by Jaeger-LeCoultre, its endless reflections and astonishing perspectives invite visitors to reflect on the fundamental question of what time really is.
“Jaeger-LeCoultre’s celestial theme resonates very strongly with me because, working with light and sound, we are at the crossroads of scientific, artistic, philosophical, even mystical questions,” said the artist. “I also have a strong desire to take art out of the galleries and to invest the public space, so it’s a great privilege to invite a wider public to experience my art as part of The Stellar Odyssey.”
To enrich the Stellar Odyssey experience, Jaeger-LeCoultre also asked world-renowned mixologist Matthias Giroud to create a special menu of soft cocktails. Regarded as an alchemist-artist in his field, Matthias has combined celestial inspiration with intriguing flavours from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s home in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux. Enjoyed by guests during the opening event, these exceptional mocktails will also be offered to visitors during the 20 days of the exhibition.
Both artists, who flew to Dubai for the opening event, are collaborating with Jaeger-LeCoultre under the aegis of its Made of Makers programme – an ongoing series of collaborations with artists, designers and craftsmen from disciplines outside watchmaking, which explores and extends the dialogue that exists between horology and art.
The Stellar Odyssey exhibition will be open from February 4th to 23rd, from 2:00pm to 12:00am on weekdays, and from 2:00pm to 1:00am on weekends, at the Dubai Fountains (Dubai Mall Cinema Parking, lower ground entrance near Bateel) Downtown Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The exhibition is open to the public with free admission, but booking is recommended at https://www.jaeger-lecoultre.com/us-en/news/events/the-stellar-odyssey-exhibition