When Madame Clicquot Ponsardin first took the reins of Veuve Clicquot in 1805, the so-called ‘Grande Dame of Champagne’ became one of the first female business leaders of the modern era.
Since then, the renowned champagne house has continued to model itself on the innovative, free-spirited sensibilities of Madame Clicquot, notably through Bold by Veuve Clicquot, an international programme which seeks to bolster the visibility of female entrepreneurs.
Opening on 26 October 2022 in Los Angeles, the travelling exhibition ‘Solaire Culture’ will make its US debut featuring commissioned work by leading contemporary female artists that have responded to the heritage, accompanied by a selection of archival objects from Veuve Clicquot’s collection.
For the show, which forms part of the Veuve Clicquot’s 250th anniversary celebrations (which have also included a jaunt on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express), French curator Camille Morineau united ten trailblazing female artists for the first time: Yayoi Kusama, Sheila Hicks, Tacita Dean, Inès Longevial, Cece Philips, Rosie McGuinness, Olimpia Zagnoli, Pénélope Bagieu, Moyoco Anno and Monique Frydman, with scenography by Constance Guisset. The artists were given carte blanche for an original artwork inspired by the innovations of Madame Clicquot, which revolutionised the world of champagne, or the emotional force of the sun, a nod to the house’s Solaire yellow, which was copyrighted in 1877.
Among the works are Kusama’s striking, polka-dotted reinterpretation of a portrait of Madame Clicquot and the artist’s My Heart That Blooms in The Darkness of The Night, a limited-edition, hand-painted floral sculpture, which wraps around a magnum of Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2012. Taking the iconic yellow hue as their muse, American textile artist Sheila Hicks presents a cascading sculpture of threads and yellow fabric, while British-German artist Tacita Dean reflects the LA sun in an analogue film. The exhibition will also feature Veuve Clicquot’s latest La Grande Dame Vintage 2015, in collaboration with Italian ceramicist, Paola Paronetto.
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Exhibition view of ‘Solaire Culture’, featuring Yayoi Kusama's portrait of Madame Clicquot
As Jean-Marc Gallot, president and CEO of Veuve Clicquot, explained in a statement, ‘This exhibition is an unprecedented event for Veuve Clicquot and the symbol of our capacity to dream big and constantly innovate. Now in the United States, a key market for the house, this exhibition comes to Los Angeles, a sunshine-filled city where art, design, and style thrive, and will highlight the house’s know-how, typical of champagne winemakers, the life of Madame Clicquot, our iconic Yellow label and the many works produced for Veuve Clicquot in the 20th century by artists such as Yayoi Kusama.’
Among the archival objects on display will be a letter signed by Madame Clicquot and an original bottle of Veuve Clicquot from the 1840s, the latter discovered in a shipwreck in the Baltic sea. Visitors will also have the opportunity to journey through Veuve Clicquot’s vineyard and crayères chalk cellars and immerse themselves in a film sharing the house’s winemaking secrets
Monique Frydman
Installation view of Tacita Dean, Six Coloured Suns, 2022. Courtesy the artist; Frith Street Gallery, London and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York/Paris
Olimpia Zagnoli
INFORMATION
‘Solaire Culture’ will run from 26 October - 17 November 2022 at the 468 North Rodeo Drive building, Los Angeles, CA. veuveclicquot.com
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