< PreviousWINTER BRILLIANCE 20 Text – Katharina Wildauer In the chilly depths of winter, sparkling jewelry brings a welcome touch of brightness and light. For her latest collection, Swarovski’s head designer Nathalie Colin took her inspiration from the magical light and glitteringly cold nights of the far north. The result is a series of unique pieces of jewelry that combine festive glamor with winter brilliance. * Available from the Swarovski Kristallwelten Stores in Wattens, Innsbruck, and Vienna. Prices valid for these Stores at the time of printing. Prices may vary.Jewelry “The Northern Lights shimmer across the starry sky – this wintery scene is embodied in the jewelry: fascinating color contrasts and the interplay of light and shadows result in bold jewelry designs with powerful symbolism.” , FOLLOW THE STARS 799.00 euros*, 349.00 euros* 119.00 euros*, 69.00 euros*, small, set of 2 rings 89.00 euros*, large 149.00 euros*22 699.00 euros* 69.00 euros* POLAR WINTER * Available from the Swarovski Kristallwelten Stores in Wattens, Innsbruck, and Vienna. Prices valid for these Stores at the time of printing. Prices may vary.23Jewelry 179.00 euros* 99.00 euros* “The inspiration for the new winter collection comes from the raw landscape of the far north, where snow and ice shimmer like crystals.” , 24 HOLIDAY SPARKLE * Available from the Swarovski Kristallwelten Stores in Wattens, Innsbruck, and Vienna. Prices valid for these Stores at the time of printing. Prices may vary. from L to R 169.00 euros* 179.00 euros* 89.00 euros* 249 euros* 599.00 euros* “The festive season is a time for colorful, bold, and sumptuously brilliant jewelry. Crystals in mysterious-looking colors create an opulent look: emerald green, sapphire blue, and ruby red.” , #SparkDelight Shop the Swarovski Power Collection26 Yayoi Kusama is one of the most remarkable artists of modern times. Her Infinity Mirror Rooms in particular have a unique symbolism and appeal. Thanks to Carla Rumler, Cultural Director Swarovski and Curator of Swarovski Crystal Worlds, the Giant is also home to a little piece of infinity. P umpkins, phallic forms, polka dots, net-like mesh patterns, and visions of infinity – these charac- teristic motifs have made Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama famous all over the world. The hallucinations caused by her mental illness both trouble and inspire her more profoundly than anything. Multi-layered “Kusama’s art stands at the intersection of genius and insanity,” explains Viennese theater scientist and marketing expert Christian Mikunda. He is regarded as one of the world’s leading experts in strategic staging concepts. He studies the mechanisms that transform simple locations into places of multi-layered experi- ence. A shop, for example, can become an exhibition space without losing its original function. “This makes it highly interesting and catches people’s attention,” explains the marketing expert. Text – Haris Kovacevic Photos – Axel Springer ON INFINITY Chandelier of Grief2728 Mikunda is not just a master of marketing, he is also an art expert. He is particularly interested in Kusama’s work, not least because of the spectacular pop-up shops that she created for Louis Vuitton. He explains that for many art enthusiasts, Kusama’s personality itself is a remarkable phenomenon. But that is not all: “Even from a purely artistic perspective Kusama is an enormously interesting phenomenon,” says Mikunda. As it was for Van Gogh or Tchaikovsky, he believes for Kusama there is a direct connection between her emotional problems and her creative work. An unfulfilled longing Carla Rumler, Cultural Director Swarovski and Curator of Swarovski Crystal Worlds, had admired the work of the Japanese artist long before her name became a concept in the art world. The troubled life story of this rebel and unconventional thinker were an inspiration and source of motivation for her. She had longed to bring a work by Yayoi Kusama to Swarovski Crystal Worlds ever since becoming curator. However, any enquiry to Kusama needed to be very carefully considered. Carla Rumler had been cura- tor for several years by the time she decided to try approaching her, but the request was denied just a few days later. Kusama’s team replied that it sounded like an interesting project, but the artist was no longer willing to travel. So a Chamber of Wonder was out of the question. A few days later, however, Carla Rumler’s phone rang. A gallery owner and friend of Rumler in New York told her that Kusama’s “Chandelier of Grief” was for sale. This friend remembered that Rumler had once told her she admired Kusama very much. Would Swarovski Crystal Worlds be interested in acquiring the work? The curator could hardly believe her luck. She reserved the Infinity Mirror Room for the weekend and set about persuading the company executives to agree to her idea in a flash. After a weekend “with very little sleep,” as Carla Rumler remembers, by Monday everyone had agreed that the new home for Kusama’s artwork should be in Wattens. 1929 Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan. Hallucinations were an early symptom of a psychiatric disorder. 1940s Against her parents’ wishes, she attended art college in Kyoto. 1957 She destroyed some of her pictures and moved to New York in 1955 – her parents paid her travel costs, on condition that she never returned to Japan. 1960s Her art happenings caused great excitement amongst the New York public. © YAYOI KUSAMA 6 Chandelier of Grief29 Chandelier of Grief I don’t know why but pains always emerge from abyss And, the intense light revolving dazzlingly Sinks to the bottom of my heart This body has been metamorphosed into a chandelier Snuggling up to the brilliant scars I will keep living, till the ends of the sky Yes, gently enfolding my wounded heart Forever, forever As long as my life lasts, I want to live As long as my life lasts, I want to live Dissolving boundaries This poem, written by Yayoi Kusama herself, is dis- played in several dierent languages on the walls of the anteroom to “Chandelier of Grief.” Two screens show a series of images that set the tone for the sensations visitors may encounter in the Infinity Mirror Room. “Kusama thought about every detail,” reveals Carla Rumler. The artist wanted to know how big the anteroom is, what the waiting line would look like, what images would be shown on the screens. She took an interest in everything. There was certainly a lot to think about, because the space where Kusama’s Chamber of Wonder is now did not even exist at that stage. It was created in 2018 to house the art installation. At that point the artwork itself was in Japan, being adapted for Swarovski Crystal Worlds by Kusama’s team. So it was that for the first time ever, a work of art became a Chamber of Wonder, instead of a Chamber of Wonder becoming an artwork. 1973 Major success eluded her, however, and in 1973 the Japanese artist returned to her home country. 1980s Exhibitions in Japan in the 1980s brought recognition and success. 2012 Her much admired collaboration with Louis Vuitton in 2012 made her famous. 2017 In 2017, the artist opened her own museum in Tokyo, to ensure her work would remain accessible to the public after her death.Next >