CARTIER, v&a museum london

The exhibition featured more than 350 objects, including precious jewels, historic gemstones, iconic watches and clocks, that charted the evolution of Cartier's legacy of art, design and craftsmanship since the turn of the 20th century.

Studio ZNA worked with Asif Khan Studio and curators Rachel Garrahan and Helen Molesworth to craft an ethereal lighting experience that elevated the presentation of Cartier’s iconic jewellery. With careful consideration of every detail, Studio ZNA’s combined technical and creative expertise shone through in understanding each Cartier object’s lit quality and the reflection, refraction, translucency, iridescence and hue of the precious jewels, historic gemstones and iconic timepieces. Beyond illuminating individual pieces, the studio, alongside Khan, carefully composed each room’s lit scenography and mood.
As visitors moved through the exhibition, they passed through a sequence of carefully orchestrated environments - each offered a subtle shift in atmosphere. One opened to a forest scene at dawn, offering space to pause and reflect. Another evoked a reimagined cosmos in the form of an orrery around the Manchester Tiara illuminated by candlelight.

Curators: Helen Molesworth and Rachel Garrahan
Exhibition Artist: Asif Khan

Exhibition designer: Asif Khan Studio
Graphic Design: Pentagram Design
Exhibition Contractor: SetWorks
Technical Project Management and Quantity Surveyor: Fraser Randall

Photography: Luke Hayes (Images 1,,4,5,6,10,11,12), Victoria & Albert Museum London (Images 2,3,8,9) and Studio ZNA (Images 7)