Color It In

Audemars Piguet is a faithful supporter of the contemporary arts scene. Perhaps most known for being a global partner of Art Basel since 2013. But you are even more likely to have come across the works from Audemars Piguet Contemporary the brand’s dedicated art programme led by in-house curator by Audrey Teichmann.

For its latest endeavor Audemars Piguet Contemporary together with the world-renowned Hayward Gallery commissioned Swiss artist Renée Levi to temporarily activate the façade of said gallery located on London’s Southbank. The result, a large-scale public painting called September is a colorful intervention on this brutalist architecture landmark, adding much-needed color as London gets draped in autumn rains.

“Activating the Hayward Gallery’s iconic architecture, September expands the possibilities of painting in the public realm. Renée Levi approaches the façade not as a backdrop, but as an active surface, responding to its rhythm, materiality and scale through a work that evolves with its setting over time,” Ms. Audrey Teichmann said of the first painting commissioned by Audemars Piguet Contemporary, which also happens to Ms. Levi’s first large-scale public installation in the UK.

“The work can never be seen all at once. It is encountered in passing, from different distances and viewpoints, and perhaps something different is noticed each time. In this way, the painting unfolds over time – first through the act of painting, and later through the movement of people passing the Hayward Gallery. For a limited time, September changes the appearance of the Hayward Gallery. And when the work disappears again, those who have passed it before may notice that something is missing,” Renée Levi pondered.

It is however not the first time that Londoners are exposed to the contrasting method of artwork applied on brutalist-shaped architecture.  “Over the years, the Hayward Gallery’s raw concrete exterior has served as an unconventional canvas for artistic intervention. Renée Levi extends our longstanding public art offering with September, a large-scale painting with sweeping gestures that disrupt the grey Brutalist facade and reflect the constant motion of the South Bank itself. Bringing a new warmth to the London skyline, Levi’s commission turns a routine walk along the Thames into an unexpected encounter with vibrant art to enjoy every day,” said Yung Ma, Curator, Hayward Gallery.

But why should a watch brand support the arts? For Audemars Piguet it boils down to the nitty gritty of life, really. When researching the raison d’etre for Audemars Piguet Contemporary, the brand states that it believes that creativity feeds culture, connects people and gives purpose to our lives. A motivation as good as any, and since its inception back in 2012 Audemars Piguet Contemporary has worked with more than 25 artists, which resulted in 57 international exhibitions of commissioned art works. 

These collaborations always have an explicit goal: to enable artists to explore new territories, expressions, and materials. But it doesn’t stop at that. By Audemars introducing new audiences and collaborations with cultural institutions, these new works are “bringing together audiences and broadening horizons, as well as leading to a better understanding within and between individuals,” as stated on the brand’s website.

Throughout history, mecenates have been a primary engine behind the creation of Western art as we know it. But far from all mecenates have enabled creative freedom on the scale of AP. And while historical mecenates were often building up private collections, it is worth mentioning that all works created in collaboration between the artists and Audemars Piguet Contemporary belong to the artists themselves, enriching their bodies of work.

September by Renee Levi will remain on the façade of Hayward gallery until November 15, 2026.