Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windows

Taking over the windows at Selfridges in London this month, Tiffany & Co pays homage to its nearly 200-year history and the famous window displays at its Fifth Avenue store in New York. Celebrating the luxury jeweller’s longstanding love of art, design and exquisite craftsmanship, this open-to-all gallery features works by four British contemporary artists alongside window displays inspired by the Tiffany Archives.

From the very first store opening in New York in 1837, the striking windows have been a signature draw and a proud tradition, with its enduring allure epitomised by iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, in which the lead character, played by Audrey Hepburn, is constantly drawn to the store’s creative displays. When Gene Moore joined the company in 1955, he revolutionised the look of window displays, with his pioneering designs juxtaposing Tiffany jewellery with unexpected, everyday materials like string, popcorn and toys. He also enlisted the likes of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns to collaborate with him. Meanwhile, to celebrate the world premiere of The Great Gatsby film in 2013, director Baz Luhrmann and production designer Catherine Martin created windows glistening with Jazz Age glamour.

Honouring this longstanding connection to the arts, Tiffany & Co commissioned four artists – Damien Hirst, Rana Begum, Jason Bruges and James Righton – to reimagine Selfridges’ windows, with the designs displayed against the backdrop of heritage displays from the jewellery house’s archives. Hirst and Begum both took inspiration from Elsa Peretti’s sculptural bone cuff for Tiffany, with Hirst’s creation intertwining Tiffany’s signature blue with the butterfly, a recurring theme for the artist, and sculptures of medical packaging that reflect his Pharmacy series.

Meanwhile, Begum’s geometric reflective composition explores the interaction of her artwork with the body, movement and light. Bruges uses mathematics and algorithms to explore how generative beams of light interact with the internal volume of a diamond, creating a stunning kaleidoscopic effect. And Righton’s hypnotic, ever-changing piece is an aural expression of life’s ongoing cycles, its illuminated circles undulating to evoke a heartbeat. Within this immersive interplay of light and sound, Tiffany’s HardWear collection seamlessly takes centre stage.

After taking in the Tiffany & Co windows, which are on display until 20 October, visitors can explore the jeweller’s new store within Selfridges, inspired by its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York.

selfridges.com, tiffany.com