As I mentioned in a post earlier, Hermes presented an exhibition titled “The Gift of Time” fashion / art exhibition and I managed to catch it with my friend Ace on the last day, just about an hour to go before it closed! (;

This is how the interior of Tanjong Pagar (defunct) Railway Station looks like. Pardon for the blurry images cause the lighting was quite dim and there was an all around red/orangey hue.

Upon entering the exhibition, we see this clock/sun-dial with a horse motif clock hand which reflects a horse shadow. It’s a lovely combination of fine artistry/design and science.

The first room is filled with videos and quotes about time. I spotted quotes in English, Mandarin and French.

Here are some of my favourites:
The second room is titled “Time Suspended” and it’s about the amazing history made by an equestrian that jumped a hurdle so high that has not been broken. The bar in the room reflects the exact height of the record. It’s been said that the jump was so high and spectacular that in that moment it felt like time was suspended. Therefore Hermes was inspired to create a watch with the essence of “Time Suspended” which encapsulates the spirit of Man pushing limits.

This video screen on the sand is position in front / below of the watch and I love how technology and video is artiscally integrated into the exhibition. 

In the same room hangs a series of horse saddles over the centuries which is a testament to the evolution of Hermes horse saddles which represents their beginnings and their heritage.

There was a guide for each room and the exhibition would not have been complete if not for the stories and background they shared! I think Hermes Singapore / exhibition organizer did a great job in engaging and training the guides because I thought them pretty spectacular, they memorized the whole script and most if not all of them were impeccably dressed and smart looking.

In the fourth and my favourite room, titled “Time Balance”, there is a huge and revolving top which has a set of water filled but always balanced glasses in the middle. It illustrates the idea of how all of us have the same number hours of time in a day and balancing/managing life/time is not a mean feat but it’s possible. It’s a profound concept and I am most impressed with how it’s so beautifully conveyed.

The tablewares displayed are all designed by Hermes.

In the fifth room which I didn’t manage to catch the name of, it showcases Hermes’ expertise in leather in beautifully designed and interesting artworks. The first part is a pendulum of bags. The green bag acts as the gong and the two brown luggages vibrates.

Watch them in action in a video compilation of clips I took from the exhibition:

In the same room there are artworks designed and made with Hermes leather such as the parrot and the cat face. They are made up of beautifully coloured and various types of leather varying from rough to smooth. The guide encouraged us to touch the varying textures.

Yay for being able to touch the display in the exhibition! 😀In the fifth room titled “Imagination Room”, viewers are encouraged to relax on the cushion seating areas and gaze at the coloured reflection from a bowl of water. 

In the sixth and last room there’s a see saw in front with huge tree in the middle, a tortoise at the bottom of the tree and a horse cuckoo clock on the tree and glass framed displays that light up at different and seemingly random order. I didn’t quite catch the meaning of this room but I think it was about chance and surprise.

The horse comes out to cuckoo every 3 minutes. Haha!

As I mentioned in the video above, I enjoyed the exhibition very much. And as I review the exhibition in this post, I ponder and realize that the exhibition was intentionally and well-designed to allow viewers to experience the exhibition through the various senses of touch, sight and hearing. It is also a beautiful reminder of how Hermes takes pride in her heritage, fine craft and artistry and educating the people about them.

Haven’t had enough of Hermes from this post? Check out their video related to the exhibition here:

Related articles

• Hermès The Gift of Time Exhibition Singapore (enabalista.wordpress.com)

• Hermes Festival Des Metiers in Singapore (enabalista.wordpress.com)