Jeppe Hein is the latest artist to work with Ruinart. Image credit: Ruinart LVMH-owned Champagne house Ruinart is reaffirming its appreciation for art with its latest Carte Blanche campaign.
Ruinart tapped Danish artist Jeppe Hein for an immersive journey at the maison. The campaign includes a new video series that offers more details about the artist and his collaboration with the house.
In the now
Annually, Ruinart works with one artist as part of its Carte Blanche initiative, offering the artist a blank slate to create their own interpretation of the Champagne house.
For 2022, Mr. Hein’s project is more extensive than previous Carte Blanche efforts as he is featured in a series of short films.
Jeppe Hein incorporates bright colors in his project for Ruinart
The series begins with Mr. Hein paying a visit to maison Ruinart.
He explores the vineyards, visits the bottling plant and the cellars. The artist also meets with several Ruinart employees, who have been using their expertise in different areas of the wine business for decades.
“When you are coming in a place like this, your senses are just opening up because you are in nature,” Mr. Hein says in the first installment.
He looks at the visit as a learning opportunity that can inspire his artwork.
The next film takes a more surrealist approach as it discusses Mr. Hein’s artistic techniques.
“The essential idea of my work is trying to open up your heart,” Mr. Hein says. “I’m trying to create experiences which can link to something in the past or maybe something in the future because all five senses are a bridge to a lot of emotions which we have.”
He is shown working with paint and mirrors, among other materials – even a Ruinart box.
The final installment, “The Artist Studio,” touches on the connect between Mr. Hein and Ruinart. It incorporates more footage of the artist’s visit to the maison, along with closeups of grapes and his artwork.
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Jeppe Hein explores the four elements – earth, air, sun and water – in his work
“I experienced at Ruinart a sense of awareness, a sense of nature and a way of enjoying life,” Mr. Hein says.
In addition to the sensory exhibit called “Right Here, Right Now,” Mr. Hein’s collaboration with Ruinart also spanned talks, workshops and a brunch.
RuinART
Ruinart’s connection with the arts dates to 1896, when André Ruinart commissioned Czech artist Alphonse Mucha to create the house’s first advertisement.
The brand went on to launch its Carte Blanche artist collaborations in 2008.
Last year, Ruinart welcomed British visual artist David Shrigley in sharing his take on the house’s history and ethos. Mr. Shrigley composed “Unconventional Bubbles” (Bulles Singulières), a collection of 36 drawings and acrylics, three neons, two ceramics and one door, all offering consumers an informative explanation of how Champagne is made (see story).
Ruinart is also committed to supporting contemporary artists through festivals.
The Champagne house marked the Frieze Los Angeles art fair with a collaboration spotlighting sustainability.
San Francisco-based artist and eco-activist Suzanne Husky was tapped for the third R.U.in.ART commission, an initiative founded for the inaugural Frieze Los Angeles in 2019. Her project echoes the Champagne house’s efforts to protect the environment and biodiversity (see story).