HEAD – Genève High School of Art and Design showed an exhibition project 24 Hours in Swiss Cuckoo Clock at the Milan Design Week. The exhibition was held in the Ventura Lambrate quarter, where the projects of the youngest and informal participants of the Milan show are concentrated.

HEAD – Genève is an unusual and prestigious school. Its director Jean-Pierre Greff, art historian, curator, gallery owner and former editor-in-chief of European Journal of Arts Education, invites not only famous designers, but also masters of famous Swiss luxury brands (competitions and internships held under the auspices of Piaget) students are satisfied with in the Paris Grand Palais or, at least, in the Historical Museum of Basel. The curator of the project, the famous Swiss designer Claudio Colucci, invited the young to give free rein to their imagination and create modern versions of the “good old” cuckoo clock. In what way can the traditional symbol of a Swiss chalet appear today? Graduate and undergraduate students have demonstrated their mastery of traditional watchmaking techniques and outstanding creativity.

Paper Cuckoo Paper Clock, diz. Benjamin Ben Kemun. © HEAD - Genève, Annik Wetter. Hour concept Cuckoo, diz. Nitzan Cohen. © HEAD – Genève, Annik Wetter. Watch-cell Bird Cage Clock, diz. Dorothea Lustalo. © HEAD –Geneve, Sandra Pointet. Hour Fantasy Voyages extraordinaires, diz. Claudio Colucci. © HEAD – Genève, Annik Wetter. Watch-painting Le Temps d'un Vol, diz. Camille Dols. © HEAD – Genève.

Students were limited to only two conditions: first, their interpretations must correspond to the high quality of watches issued under the Swiss made brand and have the most accurate mechanisms. And the second: time should be measured by a sound signal. It was not necessary to use the “ku-ku” signal. As a result, 24 jobs were selected according to the number of hours per day. The authors interpreted the symbolic cuckoo and its dwelling in different ways. The bird was caged, on a stylized tree, used in the form of photographs and pictograms. The most radical options generally bypassed the ornithological plot side. But clockwork everywhere was on top.

Watch Koo3, diz. Aurelien Mabilat and Arnaud Immobersteg. © HEAD – Genève, Annik Wetter.

To set the bar for quality to students, teachers of the HEAD – Genève school, recognized professional designers, were presented with the topic of interpretation: project curator Claudio Colucci, as well as Matali Crasse, Marco Borraccino, Nitzan Cohen, Camille Sherrer and James Auger.

Cuckoo Clock Seeping Clock, diz. Zolkin Kaiser. © HEAD - Genève, Sandra Pointet.

Before Milan, the exhibition Hours in the Life of a Swiss Cuckoo Clock has already traveled to several cities around the world. She was enjoyed watching in Boston, Montreal, Paris, Hong Kong and Geneva, at the famous SIHH High Watchmaking Salon in January 2016.