Moët & Chandon puts ‘avant-garde relief’ on display

A new piece by American artist Daniel Arsham has been put on public display at Moët & Chandon’s cellars in Epernay, Champagne.

The avant-garde relief was first shown last autumn to celebrate the house’s 280th anniversary in Paris, alongside the release of its new prestige cuvée called Collection Impériale Création, which effectively replaces the discontinued MC111.

Now, the artwork is being housed in the Galerie Impériale, which is a new ‘focal point’ for visitor tours of the house’s historic cellars.

Timeless quality

Commissioned by Moët & Chandon, the relief is one of the largest in the region and aims to create a “timeless quality” to match the bottles which surround it.

The monumental relief is three metres long and 1.3 metres high and captures “core elements that illustrate the heritage of the house” with two central putti that raise a plaque with “1743”, which is the year it was founded by Claude Moët.

A female mythological figure, the Greek deity Pheme, is included in the design, alongside the architectural façade of the Château de Saran, which “evokes the family saga of the house”.

It also includes imagery of sprawling vineyards and a wooden wine barrel.

Knowing nod

Arsham chose a white cast resin which is a “knowing nod” to the chalky soils of the Champagne region and the walls of the cellars. There are “subtle traces” of visible erosion to illustrate the passage of time, which is a signature of the artist.

His piece was inspired directly by a stained-glass panel at the entrance of the cellars since the 1890s. The artist first discovered the panel on a tour of the Moët & Chandon estate in the company of Benoît Gouez, and was “enthralled by the allegorical richness of the panel”.

Speaking about his artwork, Arsham said: “I am honoured to see my work showcased in such an important place within the legacy of Moët & Chandon, the Galerie Impériale. This collaboration has established a meaningful connection between my art and the heritage of the Maison, and I am proud to have contributed to its ongoing story.”

Multi-sensorial

It can be seen as part of the Haute Oenologie tour, which is a tour hour “multi-sensorial” experience of the cellar and a tasting of Moët Imperial, a Grand Vintage selected by Chef de Cave and matured in magnum bottles, as well as Collection Impériale Création NO.1.

Benoît Gouez, Moët & Chandon’s Cellar Master, said: “We are thrilled to invite the public to explore our latest cellar addition – a distinctive artwork by Daniel Arsham that encapsulates our history and craftsmanship.

“Commissioned to coincide with the debut of our Collection Impériale Création NO.1 – released in celebration of Maison’s 280th anniversary – we are delighted that this artwork will remain permanently in our cellars, mirroring the timeless design of our exceptional new cuvée.”