Audemars Piguet Commissions Monumental Artwork at Southbank Centre

Audemars Piguet has unveiled a visionary foray into artistic patronage through its newly established Contemporary programme, commissioning a monumental public artwork that transforms one of London’s most recognisable cultural landmarks. Positioned against the austere brutalist framework of the Hayward Gallery at Southbank Centre, the work stands as a eloquent testimony to the manufacture’s expanding commitment to nurturing contemporary artistic expression beyond the confines of watchmaking excellence.

The commissioned piece, titled ‘September’, represents artist Renée Levi’s inaugural large scale public installation within the United Kingdom. Conceived as a visual dialogue between artist and architecture, the work comprises sweeping, gestural interventions that flow across the gallery’s distinctive grey concrete façade. Rather than presenting a static composition to be apprehended in entirety, the artwork deliberately resists comprehensive observation. Instead, it orchestrates a perpetually shifting experience; as viewers navigate their passage through the urban landscape, their perspective continuously transforms, whilst the interplay of natural light and atmospheric conditions ensures that no two encounters with the work remain identical.

This approach resonates profoundly with the foundational philosophy underpinning Audemars Piguet Contemporary. The initiative extends beyond conventional patronage to embrace a curatorial vision centred upon contemplation, discovery and the cultivation of meaningful engagement with artistic endeavour. By introducing unexpected aesthetic interventions into quotidian metropolitan journeys, the commission reframes the familiar urban experience as an opportunity for enriched reflection and genuine encounter.

The Hayward Gallery, an architectural landmark celebrated for its distinctive brutalist vocabulary, provides an ideally compelling setting for such an ambitious artistic intervention. The gallery’s monolithic concrete surfaces and geometric austerity create an exceptional canvas upon which Levi’s expressive gestures resonate with particular potency, establishing a compelling conversation between structural form and artistic vision.

The exhibition remains accessible to the public throughout its tenure, offering London’s discerning audiences an extended opportunity to experience this transformative artistic encounter. The work endures at Southbank Centre through mid November, presenting an exceptional occasion to witness how contemporary artistic practice may reimagine and enliven the urban realm.

This commission underscores Audemars Piguet’s conviction that excellence transcends the mechanical arts. By commissioning works of substantial artistic ambition, the manufacture affirms its dedication to fostering cultural discourse and supporting visionary practitioners whose work enriches metropolitan life and elevates collective aesthetic experience.

Imagery courtesy of Audemars Piguet (@audemarspiguet).