Alec Monopoly and TAG Heuer

In a move that coincides and celebrates the Art Basel Miami Contemporary Art week, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Watch Division, Jean-Claude Biver, has announced the appointment of American street artist Alec Monopoly as Art Provocateur for the Swiss watch brand.

Alec Monopoly, much like his namesake, sports the iconic top hat and creates colourful street artwork to do with Mr. Monopoly, the diminutive and debonair banker from the iconic board game. Alec Monopoly found his feet in the art industry just after the financial crash in 2008, creating ironic pieces which symbolized the demise of extreme wealth. “This was my way of making a statement about what was happening.” His work started to gain an online following amongst street art aficionados.

Alec Monopoly and TAG Heuer

Since then, he has depicted the little banker in every conceivable situation. His rich, colourful works using the board game character are filled with humour and irony. Alec Monopoly has also turned his attention towards decontextualizing other iconic popular characters such as Scrooge McDuck and Richie Rich. Amongst some of his collectors include Seth Rogan, Adrien Brody and none other than the Robert De Niro have all bought his work.

With success, his relationship with painting has changed. “I was crazy when I was young. I graffitied trains, buildings…” said Alec “But I am still a graffiti addict. I still have this need to quickly graffiti something any time I get the chance. Street painting remains my true passion.”

Previous to the Miami Contemporary Art week, Jean Claude Biver had suggested that Alec became not only the “Art Provocateur” for the watch brand but also to start to express himself in a different way, in the street, by tagging the TAG Heuer boutique located in the very heart of Miami’s Design District, as part of the artistic ambiance of the famous Contemporary Art Week.

Alec Monopoly and TAG Heuer

Jean-Claude Biver commented: “To be the first, to be unique and different, has been my philosophy for the last 40 years. With Alec as Art Provocateur within my team at TAG Heuer, I would like not only to continue to reconnect the brand with the younger generation, the millenials, but also to pave the way for new areas of expression, in all domains from the products to marketing and communication to distribution. His unconventional creativity and enthusiasm are contagious!”

Images Courtesy of TAG Heuer

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