Le Gall’s “Glass Calendar” Sculptures and Limited-Edition Signature Coffret to Enhance Ruinart’s Legendary Blanc de Blancs for US Debut at Art Basel in Miami Beach

All images courtesy of Ruinart

Ruinart Champagne Presents 2015 Collaboration with French Artist Hubert le Gall Le Gall’s “Glass Calendar” Sculptures and Limited-Edition Signature Coffret to Enhance Ruinart’s Legendary Blanc de Blancs for US Debut at Art Basel in Miami Beach  — Maison Ruinart, the world’s first established Champagne House, presents their newest creative collaboration with French artist Hubert le Gall at Art Basel in Miami Beach, December 2 – 6. Providing a visual narrative both original and fantastical, le Gall expresses all the luminosity and the lightness of the Ruinart Blanc de Blancs through twelve sculptural works fabricated in Venice’s inimitable Murano glass. Each work le Gall has created for this collaborative effort reflects and represents a moment in time, a month for each work on a “glass calendar”— a year-long journey through Ruinart’s legendary Reims vineyard and its harvest. The collaboration continues Ruinart’s longstanding and ongoing relationship with the arts, and its commitment to commissioning artist works over the centuries, from such luminaries as Maarten Baas, India Mahdavi, Alphonse Mucha, Gideon Rubin, Patricia Urquiola, Piet Hein Eek, and Georgia Russell. For these contemporary artists, Ruinart has been a source of limitless inspiration. Its history, creativity, and worldwide reputation, as well as its constant search for perfection, make it a favored subject, whatever the mode of expression. During Hubert le Gall’s first visit to the Sillery vineyard at the home of Ruinart, he felt that the origin of the magical radiance of Ruinart champagne stems from the year-round forces of nature. Within these sculptures, le Gall represents the passage of time in Ruinart’s now legendary Champagne locale using both vine and grape as symbols of the cycle of life. When Hubert considered glass for expressing his vision, the studios of Murano’s master glassmakers immediately seemed the obvious place for him to work—their histories as deeply rooted in tradition as Ruinart’s. Art Basel in Miami Beach 2015 also represents the U.S. debut of le Gall’s limited-edition Ruinart coffret design—a singular vision of another tradition: the perennial design element encasing Ruinart’s renowned Blanc de Blancs bottle. On it, le Gall’s flowing stylized lines are also emblematic of time; interrupted only when the box is opened. This rare limited-edition display case will be showcased alongside le Gall’s “glass calendar” sculpture installation in the VIP/Collectors Lounge at Art Basel in Miami Beach from December 2–6—where Ruinart is the official champagne sponsor—and will be available only through select retailers in an editioned number of 2,800. Prior to Art Basel in Miami Beach, works in le Gall’s Ruinart collaboration were on view at Art Basel in Basel, Art Basel in Hong Kong, MIART in Milan, Art Brussels, the Venice Biennale, Gallery Weekend in Berlin, and Masterpiece London. About Hubert le Gall  Hubert le Gall was born in Lyon, France, in 1961, and moved to Paris in 1983. Five years later he began to exercise his creative talents by designing functional and poetic pieces of furniture imbued with fantasy and humor, as well as working as a designer for numerous national and international exhibitions. Le Gall is represented by galleries all over Europe, the United States, and Asia, and his creations can be found in both private homes and museums. Le Gall currently works in Paris’s storied Montmartre neighborhood, famous for its history as an artist residence for centuries. About Ruinart  The House of Ruinart was founded during the Enlightenment, in 1729, by Dom Thierry Ruinart—a Benedictine monk who foresaw the promising future of “the wine with bubbles.” Ruinart remains devoted to the tradition of a limited production of champagne with uncompromised quality, and appreciates that essential ingredients are the key to the creation of exceptional Champagnes—harvesting only the finest Chardonnay grapes with a high concentration of Premiers Crus. Contained in iconic, transparent bottles inspired by the very first champagne bottles created in the 18th century, Ruinart champagne is stored in former Gallo-Roman chalk quarries that became French Historical Landmarks in 1931, and that were most recently added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage Site list. These crayères offer the triple benefit of a constantly stable temperature, a complete absence of vibration, and a perfect humidity level, providing ideal conditions for the aging of Ruinart wines and the golden thread of the Ruinart taste: fresh, luminous, and elegant. Dom Ruinart’s vision and heritage of excellence have been passed down through the generations as Ruinart’s core values. Ruinart also remains a committed partner of the arts around the world and the official champagne of more than thirty global Art Fairs worldwide. www.Ruinart.com

About Art Basel  Art Basel stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary works, sited in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. In addition to ambitious stands featuring leading galleries from around the world, each show's exhibition sectors spotlight the latest developments in the visual arts, offering visitors new ideas, new inspiration and new contacts in the art world. ---- Discover more on Hubert Le Gall and his interpretation of Blanc de Blancs on www.ruinart.com/hubertlegall

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