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R U I N A R T Recon necting w ith ou r roots
On September 1, 2029, Ruinart the oldest estab-lished champagne house will celebrate its 300th anniversary. Over the centuries it has sur- rounded itself with artists such as Alphonse Mucha in 1896, and more recently has partnered with renowned contemporary creative talent to whom it gives carte blanche each year to represent it at the world s greatest international art fairs. 2019 marked the start of the ten-year countdown to the Maison s fourth century during which, every year, Ruinart will unveil a new artistic or architectural project in Reims focusing on innovation, creativity and sustainability. This year, the Maison brings together art, sustainable development and artificial intelligence in a long-term installation that is in tune with nature. Retour aux sources is the artistic and technological vision of digital artistic duo Mouawad Laurier. It symbolizes Ruinart s sensitivity to environmental issues through a singular, immersive sound and vision experience more than 100 feet under- ground. The sculpture represents the root of a grapevine, and is autonomous, connected to the world around it and equipped with artificial intelligence. Installed in an ancient chalk quarry a UNESCO World Heritage site it reacts in real time to the natural elements involved in the cham- pagne production process. Using the data it receives from the vineyards, production and climate, the sculpture changes with the seasons, reacting to the key events in the champagne-making year, observing climate change, sensing temperature and wind speed, and following the wine-making cycle harvest, fermentation, riddling and maturation. The root responds to each of these key events in different ways, reacting to its surroundings at that time. For visitors, this means that the story of Retour aux sources is constantly changing and unfolding, and becomes a powerful, persuasive reminder of the need to protect our natural environment.
In the lead-up to its 300th anniversary,
Ruinart reminds us how meaningful roots are.
