The deep and long-term commitment of Rolex to global arts and culture is part of the legacy of the vision and values of the company’s founder Hans Wilsdorf, an entrepreneur and philanthropist whose goal from the earliest days was to foster excellence, performance and continuous improvement in all of Rolex’s activities. Transmission of knowledge is integral to the company − whether in watchmaking, or in its support of the arts and culture.
The Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, set up in 2002 to assist in the transfer of knowledge from one generation of artists to the next, is based on the belief that art is a continuum, an accumulation of past experiences over generations, and that all artists are inspired by those who went before them; this perfectly embodies Rolex’s longstanding dedication to fostering excellence and helping talent to flourish, including in the arts.
THE ARTS INITIATIVE
In keeping with the Rolex tradition of encouraging individual excellence, younger artists of exceptional promise and talent – the protégés – are given the rare opportunity to spend significant amounts of time in creative exchange with recognised masters in their particular field – the mentors – on a one-to-one basis. Through time spent together in a collaborative relationship, both mentor and protégé are invigorated in their art.
The Arts Initiative today encompasses a wide cross-section of the arts – the disciplines of architecture, dance, film, literature, music, theatre and visual arts. There is also a variable, or ‘open category’, mentorship that can take place in other fields of the arts or in an interdisciplinary pursuit.
Rolex asks its mentors and protégés to interact for at least six weeks during the mentoring period, which takes place over two years. Although the programme encourages participants to make plans that foster significant bonds through sustained engagement, often extending long after the mentorship, mentors and protégés are entirely free to determine where, how and when they will interact. At the end of the mentoring period, Rolex invites the participants and guests to honour the achievements of the mentors and protégés at a public weekend of celebrations.
SELECTION OF MENTORS AND PROTÉGÉS
Operating through a highly defined structure, every two years, Rolex convenes an Advisory Board of distinguished artists and practitioners, which changes for each cycle, who suggest the names of recognised masters suitable to serve as mentors. Once these leading artists have agreed to take part, Rolex works with each to establish his or her criteria for a protégé.
For each discipline, Rolex assembles a nominating panel (who remain anonymous during the selection period to ensure impartiality) comprising experts qualified to identify talented young artists from their worldwide network of contacts who meet the mentor’s profile for a protégé. After studying the applications, the nominating panel recommends three or four finalists. Rolex then arranges for the mentor to meet the finalists and choose a protégé.
IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMME
Protégés over the years are in agreement that their mentorships have been a period of both practical guidance and deep insight – and for many, life-changing. The experience of being mentored deepens their knowledge of their artistic discipline, liberates them in their thinking about their work and boosts their confidence, international profile and connections with other people in the arts.
For many of the young artists, the full benefits of the initiative continue far into the future, and so Rolex keeps in touch, following their careers with interest.
Among other achievements, former Rolex protégés have been appointed as the artistic directors of major theatre companies and have had their work represented in leading international exhibitions such as the Venice Art Biennale and the International Architecture Exhibition. One (Tracy K. Smith) was named Poet Laureate of the United States.
ROLEX MENTOR AND PROTÉGÉ 2020−2021 ARTS INITIATIVE
Earlier this year, four of the most groundbreaking and influential artists in their respective disciplines – Spike Lee (Film), Phyllida Lloyd (Theatre), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Open Category) and Carrie Mae Weems (Visual Arts) – were named as mentors in the 2020−2021 Rolex Arts Initiative. These world-renowned innovators will each spend the next two years in close collaboration with the protégé of their choosing with whom they will exchange ideas and ensure that artistry at the highest level is transmitted across generations and geographic boundaries.
THE MENTORS
Spike Lee – Film
One of the most influential and socially conscious filmmakers of his generation, American Spike Lee has produced a prodigious body of artistically daring work across a range of genres, including more than 35 feature films and documentaries. Among the culturally, historically and aesthetically significant films that he creates, directs and sometimes acts in is the recent award-winning BlackkKlansman (2018). Lee, a tenured Professor and Artistic Director at the New York University (NYU) Graduate Film Program, has been named the President of the Jury at the 73rd Festival de Cannes.
Phyllida Lloyd – Theatre
Widely recognised for her broad range of bold and innovative theatre, opera, musical and film productions, British director Phyllida Lloyd has spent most of her career promoting gender equality both on and off stage. Among the highlights of her award-winning productions, she directed both the smash-hit musical and film Mamma Mia! as well as the Margaret Thatcher biopic, The Iron Lady (2011).
Carrie Mae Weems – Visual Arts
Carrie Mae Weems’s prolific output through image and text, film, video, performance and her many lectures, presentations and interactions with individuals across a multitude of disciplines delves into complex human experiences including sexism, racism and class. Through her career-defining The Kitchen Table Series (1989/1990), she examines various stereotypes of womanhood. Her highly acclaimed works are exhibited at major institutions throughout the world.
Lin-Manuel Miranda – Open Category
Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning composer, lyricist and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights. A recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award and the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors, his TV and film credits include Fosse/ Verdon, His Dark Materials, Saturday Night Live, Moana and Mary Poppins Returns.
THE PROTÉGÉS
Kyle Bell – Film
Over the past five years, Native American filmmaker Kyle Bell has strived to tell the stories of his people, “stories that don’t get told or whose voices are not heard”. His work as director, director of photography and film editor has included the Heartland Emmy-winning documentary show Osiyo: Voices of the Cherokee People, as well as short documentaries such as Dig It If You Can, Defend the Sacred and The Third, which have been screened at film festivals worldwide. He was named a 2019 Sundance Indigenous Program Fellow.
Whitney White – Theatre
An accomplished director, musician/composer and actress, Whitney White is making her name as one of the most sought after, young theatre-makers in the United States. Artistic Associate at New York’s Roundabout Theatre Company, she has directed a variety of theatrical genres from the classics such as Othello to What To Send Up When it Goes Down, a play about racialised violence that was hailed by The New York Times.
Camila Rodríguez Triana – Visual Arts
Colombian filmmaker and visual artist, Camila Rodríguez Triana creates works with great emotional power that question the viewer and, like her mentor’s themes, portray intimate relationships in everyday spaces. Her art has been exhibited in solo and group shows in South America and Europe. As founder of Heka Films SAS, Triana has been responsible for several acclaimed documentary features that explore the limits between documentary and fiction.
Agustina San Martín – Open Category
Known for her bold vision as a storyteller, Argentinean director, screenwriter, cinematographer, colourist and film editor Agustina San Martín is looking to her mentor to “nurture and broaden her creative universes”. Having recently completed the feature film To Kill The Beast (Matar a la bestia, 2020), San Martín has gained recognition for her multifaceted work, including winning a Special Mention Jury Prize for Best Short Film at the 72nd Cannes Festival for Monster God (2019).
ROLEX AND THE TRANSMISSION OF KNOWLEDGE
Since its launch, the Rolex Arts Initiative has evolved into an enriching dialogue between artists of different generations, cultures and disciplines, helping ensure that the world’s artistic heritage is passed on. From the time of its inception at the beginning of the 20th century, Rolex has encouraged individual excellence and the perpetual pursuit of perfection in all its endeavours, from watchmaking to the many people and activities it supports – including sports, the environment, exploration, and arts and culture.
Over nearly two decades, the Rolex Arts Initiative has evolved into a community of artists embracing different generations, cultures and disciplines. More specifically, since its beginnings, almost 1,200 young professional artists from 107 countries have been nominated to participate, thereby coming to the attention of experts in their fields. A total of 253 influential figures in the arts have nominated young artists and selected protégé finalists, and 123 major artists and creative leaders have served as advisors to the programme. To date, 54 artists – including Zakir Hussain, Martin Scorsese, Sir David Adjaye, Margaret Atwood, Zhang Yimou, William Forsythe, Mira Nair, Youssou N’Dour, Peter Sellars, Alexei Ratmansky, Michael Ondaatje and Alfonso Cuarón – have served as mentors and have chosen 54 protégés from 36 countries. Rolex considers the development of this global creative community to be one of the highest achievements of the Rolex Arts Initiative.
*All images courtesy of Rolex
