ADDING A NEW CULTURAL DIMENSION TO ITS ARTISTIC HERITAGE
Maison Perrier-Jouët is delighted to present its first museum exhibition: “A Banquet of Wonders, Delighting in the World”, which is envisioned as a journey through the history of its own collections and those of its co-producer, the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology in Epernay. This landmark event builds on the cultural dimension of the House, whose artistic heritage spans more than 200 years, from its foundation to its contemporary collaborations.
Set in two hundred square metres of space at the Château Perrier, “A Banquet of Wonders, Delighting in the World” brings together pieces from the 17th century and the Art Nouveau period, contemporary creations, and loans from museums and private collectors. A dialogue emerges between these different artefacts, from different eras, which all have a relationship to nature and contribute to the enchantment of our world. The exhibition focuses on the dynamics of living, sharing, transmission and engagement.
It is open in Epernay, Champagne, from 16 September to 11 December 2023.
A WITNESS TO HISTORY, A LIVING HERITAGE
The exhibition is designed as a stroll through the history of the collections, most notably those of Maison Perrier-Jouët, the beginnings of which can be traced back to the establishment of the Champagne House in 1811. Pierre-Nicolas Perrier and Rose-Adélaïde Jouët, the founders, passed on to their son Charles a love of art and nature. A passionate botanist and horticulturist with visionary ideas about natural viticulture, Charles Perrier built the imposing Château Perrier – now hosting the exhibition – between 1854 and 1857. This residence, with its magnificent reception rooms, was bequeathed to Henri Gallice, his heir and nephew, in 1878. An aesthete and art collector, Henri Gallice made the acquaintance of Emile Gallé, one of the pioneers of the Art Nouveau movement. On the request of Henri Gallice and his brother Octave, the renowned artist and botanist decorated one of the House’s magnums with a motif of Japanese anemones, echoing the floral style of Perrier-Jouët wines. For over a century, these flowers have been the emblem of the House and its profound, sincere relationship to nature.
Charles Perrier and Henri Gallice laid the foundations of an art collection bringing together artefacts that represent the creative vitality of their respective eras. The collection has been enriched over time and is now the largest private collection of French Art Nouveau in Europe.
“A Banquet of Wonders, Delighting in the World” relates the history of this collection and, more broadly, explores the intimate link between the collectors and nature. The title of the exhibition is inspired by a rare 18th-century volume that belonged to Henri Gallice, “Le tableau des merveilles de l’univers”. The wonders in question are those of science, plant life and the technique of collecting, which provide visitors to the exhibition with food for thought. “The exhibition offers a banquet of wonders inviting us to sample the world: in other words, we are invited to celebrate the art of living, a generous way to engage with the world and open up to others,” explains Axelle de Buffévent, Style Director of Maison Perrier-Jouët.
A MANIFESTO COLLECTION, FOR PASSING ON AND SHARING
For Maison Perrier-Jouët, producing the exhibition within the Château Perrier – which became the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology in 2020 – means its ideas can be circulated to a much wider public. “The Perrier-Jouët collection is designed like a banquet. Constantly evolving, it can be shared, enjoyed and celebrated,” says Axelle de Buffévent.
For the exhibition, Axelle de Buffévent and the artist and design curator Benjamin Loyauté selected pieces from the Perrier-Jouët collections. From historical Art Nouveau to contemporary design, the works chosen all echo the Art Nouveau ethos embraced by the House: inspiration from nature and its processes via all the arts, engagement with artists and artisans to bring beauty to everyday life, elevation of hand-crafted objects.
Furniture, decorative objects and tableware from the Art Nouveau period will be on display. Highlights include a Guimard bed, one of the treasures of the collection, an oval-shaped crystal jug by Emile Gallé, and a patinated bronze bowl in the shape of a radish by Franz Bergmann. The exhibition places historical Art Nouveau pieces alongside contemporary works commissioned by Maison Perrier-Jouët in the 21st century, such as those by Bethan Laura Wood, mischer’traxler studio and Fernando Laposse.
Since 2012, Maison Perrier-Jouët has collaborated regularly with both established and emerging artists and designers, who accompany the House in questioning the relationship between man and nature, and drawing inspiration from nature in order to re-enchant the world. The House understands that artists can clarify and shape the cultural changes we face, helping us to understand societal transitions and suggesting new directions. In particular, they have a capacity to reflect on the place of man within nature and the positive influence he can have on it.
Ever since its foundation, from one generation to the next, Maison Perrier-Jouët has built up manifesto collections that represent its vision of the world, helping us to understand and delight in it. “Behind each artwork, there is a story of sensitivity, creative freedom and reflection on our relationship to nature. The combination of historical and contemporary pieces allows the House to enrich its celebration of the living world in all its vitality and creativity,” explains Benjamin Loyauté. He continues: “The banquet is envisioned as a place of passage, which draws on heritage to evoke the future, on nature to evoke life, and on sharing to evoke joy…”
Loans from museums and private collections also feature in the exhibition. Contemporary works by the likes of Marcin Rusak, Samuel Tomatis and Tomáš Libertíny have been selected for their powerful response to societal challenges and nature.
AN INVITATION TO WONDER
Visitors are invited to discover an intimate set design, looking at the objects under different facets. The concept of visual tasting offers a unique experience that leads into other imaginary worlds.
“The collections are like windows that open on the rich, beautiful and strange aspects of the world around us: they make us dream, they create poetry, they enchant and transcend living things,” comments Laure Ménétrier, Director and Curator of the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology.
In reference to Emile Gallé’s communicative objects, Grandville’s “Les fleurs animées” and the whole of 19th-century literature, a sound and light show takes the visitor on a sensory journey.
The sound makes the objects “sing”, and they appear to come to life. Light links the different spaces, like a sensory tour guide. The final stage is the banqueting room – the aesthetic and intellectual apotheosis of the exhibition – in the middle of which sits an enchanting table with multiple references to nature. Its form symbolises the infinite, evoking the way in which we can move towards a creative future while preserving the authenticity of our commitments to nature. In the same way that heritage nourishes the future, sharing encourages joy and conviviality.
This room is home to some wonderful tableware objects – symbols of the art of living and entertaining – which appeal to the senses. Like champagne, the banquet imagined by Maison Perrier-Jouët is a living, breathing entity, gathering people together around shared tastes, as well as convictions. A place where ideas circulate, a place of engagement.
To prolong the exhibition and expand its reach and content, Maison Perrier-Jouët commissioned JBE Books (Jean Boîte Edition) to produce a fascinating work, bringing together an array of inspiring authors: Ryoko Sekiguchi (poet), Jean-Louis Gaillemin (art historian and founder of Beaux-Arts Magazine and L’Objet d’art), Yves Elie (writer and director), Laure Ménétrier (Director and Curator of the Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology), and Axelle de Buffévent (Style Director of Maison Perrier-Jouët).
This work is the third publication in the “Enchanting Library” collection from Maison Perrier-Jouët, following “Feeling” by Ryoko Sekiguchi (published in 2021) and “Modern Alchemy”, the result of an encounter between Viviane Sassen and Emanuele Coccia (2022).
Joyful and generous, “A Banquet of Wonders, Delighting in the World” celebrates a committed way of living in the world.
ABOUT MAISON PERRIER-JOUËT
Maison Perrier-Jouët was founded in 1811 by a couple united by their love of nature and passion for art. From the start, they chose the Chardonnay grape variety as the signature of the House, defining the floral style which sets Perrier-Jouët champagnes apart. For more than two centuries, Maison Perrier-Jouët has evolved in close relationship with nature, guided by the free spirit of its founders and the exuberance of the Art Nouveau movement. Nature remains its primary source of inspiration. The Earth is a common garden, which the House cultivates as it crafts its champagnes. Fired by creative freedom, Maison
Perrier-Jouët nurtures a joyful, positive vision of the world.
ABOUT CHÂTEAU PERRIER
Classified as a Historical Monument since 2013, Château Perrier was built to house the mansion and cellars of Charles Perrier, son of the founders and director of the Perrier-Jouët Champagne House.
It was acquired by the City of Epernay in 1942 and was fully refurbished between 2020 and 2022, to house the renovated and modernised Museum of Champagne Wine and Regional Archaeology, an archaeological, museum and scientific project.
Find out more: archeochampagne.epernay.fr
@archeochampagne.fr
