ST. MORITZ, SWITZERLAND.-The St. Moritz Art Masters – SAM – which will take place from August 29 – September 7, 2008, is the premiere of a glamorous art and music event in the Engadine-based noble resort that is set to become an annual institution for connoisseurs from all over the world.

This exclusive art platform that includes contemporary art and international classic highlights will turn St. Moritz this summer for 10 days into an art and cultural mecca. Approximately 50 works by international contemporary artists will be presented within the framework of a “Walk of Art” at very unusual places in and around St. Moritz; they will also be displayed in sales exhibitions. In cooperation with local galleries and international artists, works by, among others, Gerhard Richter, Alighiero Boetti, Piero Manzoni, Lucio Fontana, Andy Warhol, Eric Fischl, Otto Piene, Tony Cragg and Frank Stella will be exhibited. Furthermore parts of the private art collections of Cartier, Daimler and Julius Bär will be presented.

The St. Moritz Art Masters will be topped off with gala evening benefit events that will culminate in the awarding of the “Art Masters” prize, which is being conferred in 2008 for the first time in the category "lifetime achievement". About 25 international artists have been nominated for this art prize by the SAM jury, which will be made up of renowned art experts that include Lauren Taschen and Sam Keller as well as art collectors like Roland Berger.

The program of events will also comprise concerts by the Vienna and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the aegis of Valéry Gergiev, the Musical Director of the festival, as well as performances by the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Ballett, which will take place in the ballrooms of the luxury hotels Badrutt’s Palace, Carlton Hotel, Kempinski Grand Hotel, Kulm Hotel and Hotel Suvretta House, providing guests with a cultural treat of the highest order.

Additionally, exhibitions of 21 old-timers, 21 photographers and 21 antique clocks will pay tribute to the 21st century, bridging the gap between tradition and innovation. In a series of accompanying talks and presentations, topics including design, fashion trends and technology, as well as sustainability, nature and the environment will be addressed and discussed.

The St. Moritz Art Masters was initiated by Monty Shadow, Concept Edge – Time Motion, Dr. Edgar Quadt/ Axel Zörkendörfer ARTINVESTOR and Reiner Opoku, expert in arts. Members of the SAM Committee include Hubert Burda, Paulo Coelho, Valéry Gergiev, Sam Keller, Samuel Kung, Jürg Marquard, Davide Rampello and Lauren Taschen.

Support for SAM has been provided by the local five-star hotels (Badrutt’s Palace, Carlton Hotel, Kempinski Grand Hotel, Kulm Hotel and Hotel Suvretta House), as well as the local tourist information office and the sponsors (among others Cartier, Mercedes Benz, Vacheron Constantin, Julius Bär, Meridian, Santoni, Smart, Agusta Westland).