A short history of luxury: Ruinart and the artists

For the oldest champagne house, the relationship with artists is privileged, as shown by the recent exhibition at the Art Basel contemporary art fair.

Art Basel ended yesterday and once again demonstrated the special relationship between the Ruinart champagne house and Art. Indeed, the artist Jeppe Hein imagined an evolving installation that translates the essence of his immersion in Champagne.

*Jeppe Hein customized a Jeroboam Ruinart Rosé box © Ruinart*

To bring the sensory experience of nature to life, Jeppe Hein uses fragments of material that make up this terroir and appeal to our senses and summon the four elements: earth/soil, water/rain, air/wind and fire/sun, which are essential to the making of champagne. “Right Here, Right Now” is a participatory installation created by the Danish artist as part of Ruinart’s Carte Blanche program.

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Art Basel (@artbasel)

Ruinart’s Art & Culture Director, Fabien Vallérian, explains “The idea is to participate in the artistic life outside of any commercial event because we are also a cultural actor“.

In fact, in 1896, Ruinart called on the Art Nouveau specialist Alphonse Mucha for its first advertisement. Since then, the LVMH Group company has continued to select committed artists to reinterpret its world, accelerating artistic collaborations from 2008, until recently calling on Claude Viallat to dress its magnums.

*Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939), “Champagne Ruinart”, 1896, color lithograph © Drouot*

“Every year, renowned talents are invited to Reims for a residency, to discover the vineyards and the Crayères, and to be inspired by the work of the vine. We never buy existing works, they are creations,” continues Fabien Vallérian.

Every year since 2008, Ruinart has entrusted the artistic reinterpretation of its heritage to renowned contemporary artists. Their artistic proposals echo the values of the House and challenge society on climate change. They are exhibited in particular at art fairs and shows around the globe, such as Art Basel or Frieze London.

5 inspirational fashion shows for spring summer 2024

In 2018, the Champagne House also created its Prize at Paris Photo, with the support of the Picto Foundation, to distinguish an emerging photographer whose works, always created during a residency in Reims, are presented for the first time at the fair. In 2029, the company, which will be 300 years old, has already launched a “countdown” to reveal a permanent artistic project in Reims each year. 10 works will take place in the heart of its land, creating a dialogue between art, nature and technology.

The house has already commissioned the plastic artist Tomás Saraceno who has created the work-performance “Movement” which, through the flight of an inflatable structure, illustrates the impact of climate change on the grape.

Hélène Cougot

Passionnée depuis son plus jeune âge par l’art et la mode, Hélène s’oriente vers une école de stylisme, l’Atelier Chardon-Savard à Paris, avec une option Communication. Afin d’ajouter des cordes à son arc, elle décide de compléter sa formation par un MBA en Management du Luxe et Marketing Expérientiel à l’Institut Supérieur de Gestion à Paris dont elle sort diplômée en 2020. Elle a notamment écrit des articles lifestyle et beauté pour le magazine Do it in Paris et se spécialise en rédaction d’articles concernant le luxe, l’art et la mode au sein du magazine Luxus Plus.********** [EN] Passionate about art and fashion from a young age, Hélène went to a fashion design school, Atelier Chardon-Savard in Paris, with a Communication option. In order to add more strings to her bow, she decided to complete her education with an MBA in Luxury Management and Experiential Marketing at the Institut Supérieur de Gestion in Paris from which she graduated in 2020. She has written lifestyle and beauty articles for Do it in Paris magazine and specializes in writing articles about luxury, art and fashion for Luxus Plus magazine.