Daniel Arsham has always been preoccupied with the idea of time.
You see this theme woven throughout all of his work and across his varied canvases. From his Future Relics collection that featured the likes of Pokemon and vintage cars that were eroding in his staple monochrome white palette, to the clock motifs that appear in much of his work, he has always found a way to play with time.
Now, Arsham has teamed with the house of Moët & Chandon, one of the oldest Champagne houses in the world, for the launch of their latest ImpériIale cuvee. A limited edition set of 25 holders and casings are to be released in the artist’s signature design.
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“We created Collection Impériale Création No. 1, released for our 280 anniversary, as a Champagne crafted for eternity,” says Benoit Gouez, Moët Chandon’s chef de caves. “A consummate artist of our time, Daniel approached his work in much the same way that we have approached the crafting of Collection Impériale Création No. 1: as an artistic endeavor made today, shaped by traditions of the past, but intended to go on well into the future.”
Modern Luxury sat down with Arsham in his New York City home to discuss the partnership and his ongoing exploration of the art in time.
How is it that you got involved with Moët Chandon?
Benoit [Gouez] contacted me probably three years ago with this idea. He was already—and had been for almost 20 years—developing this new cuvée. It's a blend of all the best years together. He said, "We'd love to commission you to create a bottle design for us," so I went over to Epernay, had some meetings with him, walked through the vineyards, walked in the cellars with him, and had this incredible experience.
A big part of it actually was him showing me what didn't work. Every time you drink champagne, it's always like, "Okay, this is the best thing." You're always tasting something that's done. I never tasted the process of … selecting different things for balance. That was really interesting.
The work that I created is a shallow relief sculpture that's now installed in the cellar forever. It's at the end of this very long hallway, and it's based on a stained-glass window that's been there for 120 years or something like that. I pulled things from that and created this eroded sculpture.
That seems to fit how much of your work and practice deals with time and the idea of things decaying and evolving.
Champagne is also about time. When you're drinking something, you're capturing a moment that actually happened 10 years ago, 20 years ago, the year of the bottle. [Gouez] describes it like you're experiencing all of the things that grape experienced in that season, what the weather was like, all of those conditions. It makes sense to do something with a brand whose ethos is really about time. The house is about 270 years old, and this blend is seven of the best years. He pulled some stock and held it back, knowing that later he would create this blend, so it's something he anticipated 20 years ago.
Did that idea impact the design direction you took?
I wanted to create something that was a sculptural proposition around the bottle. Initially, it was a stand-alone thing, then I looked at it and thought, “Maybe this can be the case for the bottle itself." It’s the size of a Magnum bottle, and the bottom screws off. It actually holds the bottle inside.
What was the most surprising part about this partnership?
One of the beautiful things about champagne is it's usually opened during celebrations and people are in a good mood. It's like creating another element around that. Obviously, you smell the champagne, you taste the champagne. You see it creating something that is living alongside that the experience. That was beautiful.
Learn more about the Impériale Création and Daniel Arsham’s creation, and find out where to get your hands on one of the rare bottles, at moet.com.
Photography by: Courtesy of Moet & Chandon
