In Bordeaux, too, wine is being linked with contemporary art.
Several other projects are on their way: works from Renzo Piano, Oscar Niemeyer and Ai Weiwei, including a wine bar and a school of oenology. “Just on this estate, we’ve assembled work by five Pritzker Prize winners – the highest distinction in architecture,” a château spokesman says. They include Jean Nouvel’s ultra-modern wine stores, built in 2008 a music pavilion designed by Gehry Partners, also from 2008 and two houses, now restored, by Lorrain Jean Prouvé. This priceless private collection is accompanied by six architectural works, all just as fascinating. “In winter, with the snow, it’s particularly beautiful,” a spokesman says. In the hills you’ll see "Oak Room" (2009), by British artist Andy Goldsworthy, a specialist in “land art” overlooking the vines is "Aix" (2008), by American Richard Serra sheltered in a grove is "Calix Meus Inebrians" (2009), by Irish avant-garde artist Guggi and in the woods, "Foxes" (2008), by REM singer Michael Stipe.Īccording to château staff, even children love the experience of viewing the sculptures, as visitors are invited to touch and “interact” with the works. It is located in Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, north of Aix-en-Provence. Open all year round, this open-air museum was launched discreetly (at its owner’s behest) in the summer of 2011. © AFP/ Gerard Julien | One of Michael Stipe's "Foxes," and the Gehry-designed music pavilion at Château la Coste
The route meanders through rows of vines, plantings of olive trees and the vineyard’s buildings, where 40 employees work.įor Matthieu Cosse, the château's winemaker since 2006, exhibiting art and producing healthy, high-quality wines are two aspects of an overall project which presents wine as a cultural phenomenon. McKillen's idea? Invite an artist to choose – from anywhere on the estate – the place that inspires him or her the most then work on site to create a unique artwork.Īs a result, the sculptures – mostly monumental in scale and integrated into their surroundings – are spread along a walk of three kilometers, lasting around two hours. The original house dates from 1682 and the château produces 650,000 bottles a year of organic Coteaux-d’Aix. Since 2004, the estate has been the property of Patrick McKillen, an Irish property developer, art lover, and erudite collector.
#Andy bernard vineyard vines windows
The visitor then comes across Ando’s art center (2011), a building in the shape of an immense figure "7" with large glass windows overlooking a pool, in which stands Alexander Calder’s mobile “Small Crinkly” (1976). “Louise Bourgeois was won over by the idea of her spider floating,” is the explanation from the château. This work, dating from 2003, is one of the few by Bourgeois to be held in private hands.
“I’m usually rather more of an ‘old stones’ person but here, the marriage of nature with art is stunning, truly incredible.”īehind the imposing entrance to the estate, designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, a giant spider (“Crouching Spider 6695”) by Franco-American artist Louise Bourgeois delicately hovers over a clear pond, taking visitors by surprise. “It’s wonderful,” enthuses Hervé Cochet, 64, originally from Aix but now living in Germany, who’s visiting the estate with his wife. One of the most striking is "Drop," a 2009 stainless steel sculpture by American artist Tom Shannon, which sits in a clover meadow in the shadow of a linden tree. In the heart of Provence, the wine estate of Château La Coste offers a walking tour with a difference: the opportunity to discover 20 works by contemporary artists, set among the 130 hectares of vines in a unique “open-air museum.” © AFP/ Gerard Julien | Tom Shannon's "Drop" on display at Château la Coste, Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, southeastern France
0 kommentar(er)
