La Prairie, Switzerland’s leading luxury skincare company, is partnering with the Foundation Beyeler, Switzerland’s most visited museum of modern art, to restore four works by Piet Mondrian.
Excellence in skincare
La Prairie is a leading Swiss luxury skincare company. It strives to fulfil “a quest for timeless beauty through the highest standards of advanced technology elevating skincare to art”. These attributes have led La Prairie to collaborate with the Foundation Beyeler.
Switzerland’s most visited museum
The Beyeler Foundation, on the other hand, based in Riehen (Basel) was founded in 1997 by art collectors and gallery owners Ernst and Hildy Beyeler. The collection consists of more than 400 post-impressionist, modern classical and contemporary works. It has managed to capture the public’s attention, making it the most visited art museum in Switzerland. Every year it shows around four temporary exhibitions dedicated to pioneering artists or artistic movements. Among them are: Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne, Claude Monet, Henri Matisse, Alberto Giacometti, as well as Louise Bourgeois, Jeff Koons, Marlene Dumas, Richard Serra, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Mondrian’s work, a strong presence at the Foundation Beyeler
The Foundation Beyeler has one of the most comprehensive collections of paintings by Piet Mondrian in Switzerland. These include early works and even the late classics by the Dutch painter. The collaboration with La Prairie arose from the planning of a major Mondrian exhibition at the Swiss museum. The fact that La Prairie is collaborating with the Foundation Beyeler means that it is expected to take on the role of exclusive sponsor of a two-year artistic partnership. This agreement involves the conservation of four masterpieces by Piet Mondrian.
Mondrian’s works: Tableau No. I and Composition in the Shape of a Rhombus with Eight Lines and Red.
The works in question date from 1921 and 1938 and are Tableau No. I; Composition with Yellow and Blue; Composition with Double Line and Blue; Composition in the Shape of a Rhombus with Eight Lines and Red.
Composition with Yellow and Blue and Composition with Double Line and Blue, by Mondrian.
An audiovisual piece to chronicle the stages of the project
In order to record and provide details of the art conservation process, La Prairie has created a series of episodes, available exclusively on The Art Journal. They will showcase the various stages of the project and demonstrate a masterful process that is rarely seen.
Conservation as a cornerstone of longevity
Works of art are also sensitive to the passage of time and their proper preservation is key to ensuring permanent cultural heritage. The Foundation Beyeler’s approach is not only concerned with restoration. It also takes care to “closely study the unique attributes of works of art, and to document, analyse and anticipate what the impact of time may be on them”. In this way, they are protecting the art by prolonging its longevity”.
La Prairie collaborating with the Foundation Beyeler in the conservation of Mondrian’s works
“Art is an important part of our lives. It testifies to how people see and understand the world we live in. Therefore, it is essential to preserve works of art so that we can remember those who were involved,” said Markus Gross, Chief Curator at Foundation Beyeler. “We are delighted that La Prairie supports this project and contributes to raising awareness of the importance of art conservation,” he concluded.
“With this new initiative, La Prairie expands its cultural engagement, exemplifying our long-term commitment to the world of art and culture, while helping to elevate our intention,” says Greg Prodromides, Marketing Director at La Prairie.
A ‘made in Switzerland’ collaboration
Moreover, adds Prodromides: “As a Swiss house, we are particularly proud to support one of Switzerland’s most prestigious cultural institutions. With the Foundation Beyeler, we have common values and the aim of sharing the art of Switzerland with the world. Bringing La Prairie’s support to a project dedicated to preserving iconic works of art gives even more meaning to this collaboration”.
Ulrike Erbslöh, Director General of the Foundation Beyeler, gave her view on the partnership: “It is a catalyst for innovation, which creates an exciting opportunity for creative dialogue. Through this sponsorship, La Prairie and the Foundation Beyeler have joined forces with the aim of highlighting the importance of art conservation. Offering the highest quality is part of the Beyeler Foundation’s DNA. We always aim for perfection. And so does La Prairie.
La Prairie and art
This is not the first time La Prairie has collaborated with the art world – apart from the Foundation Beyeler, in 2017 it collaborated with the world’s leading contemporary art fair Art Basel, which takes place annually with editions in Basel, Hong Kong and Miami Beach. For each of these, La Prairie commissions an artist to create an original work of art as a creative metaphor for the brand’s values through the prism of time.
