Now open at the Shanghai Museum East, Cartier, the Power of Magic is an exhibition that comes exactly two decades after the jeweller’s first-ever exhibition in China. Made up of over 300 jewels and objects from the Cartier Collection and museums around the world, the exhibition explores Chinese art, Cartier’s history, and the influence of Chinese culture on the jeweller’s creations.

Pierre Rainero, Cartier Image, Style and Heritage Director, describes the exhibition as “distinctly more analytical, taking a fresh look at the bonds uniting China and Cartier, and also at a relatively unexplored yet intrinsic aspect of jewellery: magic.”

A desk clock with an imperial dragon motif sold by Cartier New York in 1925

A pair of 1920s Cartier screen clocks flanking a Qing Qianlong period jade table screen

Chu Xiaobao, the Director of the Shanghai Museum, highlighted the significance of the exhibition, “The concept of Cartier, which goes beyond the art of jewellery to capture the eternal beauty, bears a striking resemblance to the timeless value of ancient Chinese art”.

Notably, the aesthetics for the exhibition were devised by the artificial intelligence model cAI, which was created by Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang and his studio. The backdrop of the exhibitions are traditional Chinese landscapes combined with Chinese courtyard manuscripts generated by the AI. But Mr Cai’s presentation also encompasses physical objects, which were crafted in ceramic and stone by artisans from his hometown, Quanzhou.

The exhibition is part of wider events that celebrate cultural relations between France and China, the Sino-French Cultural Spring Art Festival and the Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism.

Cartier, The Power of Magic

November 6, 2024-February 17, 2025

Open daily to the public
10:00 am-6:00 pm, Wednesday to Monday
Closed on Tuesdays

Shanghai Museum East
No. 1952 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area
Shanghai 201204
China

For more information, visit Cartier.cn.