AIR
‘Movement’ — A POETIC WAY TO FEEL THE AIR AND A REMINDER OF ITS RELEVANCE.
An installation created by Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno
with Aerocene for Ruinart
In fact, it’s almost unimaginable, but one degree of temperature difference makes a lot of difference. In Champagne, warming the climate by one degree disrupts the natural ripening process of the grapes. Yet, a one degree difference between the ambient air and the air trapped in the Aerocene is enough to launch the infatable Aerosolar sculpture into the air.
The Aerocene balloon is a central object in the work of Argentinian performance and installation artist Tomás Saraceno. Heated by the rising sun and moved by the winds, the aerosolar sculpture floats gently towards the atmosphere.
ANZEIGE
In this way, the artist has created a unique work of art that drifts without even a single physical trace. The movement of the Aerocene backpack acts as sort of a brush, driven by the motion of the air to trace abstract lines and aerosolar rhythms. A special sensor captured the movements of the sculpture, whose trace was made visible in the sky above the MAISON RUINART and the vineyards via the Aerocene app.
“IN MY WORK, PRECISION AND AWARENESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT ARE ESSENTIAL. AN EXTRA
DEGREE IN TEMPERATURE CAN HAVE AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE TEXTURE AND AROMAS OF OUR WINES.”
— Frédéric Panaïotis,
Cellar Master, Maison Ruinart
For several years now, grapes in the Champagne region ripen quicker and harvest has to begin earlier in the year. In 30 years, the average temperature has risen by 1.3°C. A symptom of a broader global climate crisis, which has driven Maison Ruinart to actively protect the environment through sustainable viticultural practices that promote biodiversity. “In my work, precision and awareness of the environment are essential. An extra degree in temperature can have an enormous impact on the texture and aromas of our wines“, explains Frédéric Panaïotis, Cellar Master at Maison Ruinart.
Eco-design is also a major part of the packaging vision, while the supply chain has been transformed to focus on less environmentally damaging methods of transportation. To share this enlightened vision, Maison Ruinart invited environmentally conscious artists such as Tomás Saraceno to create a site-specifc artwork in its historic terroir. Tomás Saraceno’s Movement shows glimpses of a new era free of fossil fuels, batteries, lithium, solar cells, helium, hydrogen and carbon emissions.
Guests who visit Maison Ruinart will be able to experience Movement on site with the Aerocene app, which will be used to document the performance created by Tomás Saraceno. In this way, the augmented reality aeroglyphic sculpture created by this performance will become part of the Maison’s artistic terroir. It is going to be a reminder of the signifcance of the air we breathe and contribute to creating a world where species and nature coexist in harmony.
AEROCENE
Initiated by artist Tomás Saraceno in 2015, the Aerocene Foundation is a non-proft organisation devoted to community building, scientifc research, artistic experience, and education. Its activities include testing and multiplying solar sculptures that foat without needing fuel or rare gases. The Foundation works with artists, thinkers, scientists, researchers, balloonists, technologists, humanitarian workers, and visionaries to increase public awareness of global resource circulation, and reactivate a common imaginary towards new symbiotic relationships with the earth. The sculptural Movement made with the wind are signatures for a planetary declaration of independence from fossil fuels. As our awareness is drawn to the elements and we are given the chance to re-sense the natural rhythms of the planet, the air will start to clear and return to invisibility.
“This calls for a new era, a new way of living and relating, independent from fossil fuels, a move into Aerocene — the age of air.
Moving in Aerocene is to float following winding trajectories, guided by the wind and propelled by thermal air currents, becoming buoyant only by the heat of the sun.”
— Tomás Saraceno
Ruinart, the oldest champagne house, will be celebrating its 300th anniversary in September 2029. In its long and rich history, Ruinart fostered partnerships with artists almost since the beginning. Alphonse Mucha was one of them in 1896. Today, Ruinart is taking part in the world’s largest art fairs like Art Basel and Frieze – through an annual carte blanche programme, Ruinart collaborates with contemporary artists each year. These projects allow the champagne house to show its heritage and history through the vision of the chosen artist. Until 2029, 10 artworks will be installed in the heart of the Maison’s historic terroir, bringing art, creativity and sustainability together. Last year, they invited British visual artist David Shrigley, who left several artworks on the walls of the crayères of Ruinart.
It is part of the next step in the company’s ecological program, following the “Second Skin” launched in 2020 as an eco-designed alternative to traditional champagne boxes.
