An Artwork Championing Sustainability

Ruinart debuts a 10-year-long countdown to its 300th anniversary by commissioning French artists Maya Mouawad and Cyril Laurier to create an artwork championing sustainability

- Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle

It may be 10 years before it celebrates its tricentenary, but Ruinart has already started counting down. Every year from now to 2029, it will commission a new artistic or architectural project in Reims, in northeastern France, that brings art and sustainability together; its goal is to become the greenest and most socially responsible champagne house, occupying both a leading and inspirational role in the industry, as it believes no human product really lasts unless it is created with respect for its environment. Considering that nature and exceptional savoir faire are at the root of the excellence of its wines, the maison is aware of its obligation towards this heritage, and with its vines and wines deeply rooted to the terroir and climate, it feels the effects of global warming on its grapes intensely. Thus, it came quite naturally to the house to commission, for the first in the now annual series of artworks, the French artistic duo, Ms. Maya Mouawad and Mr. Cyril Laurier, whose oeuvre tackles questions of sustainability through creativity and technological innovation. Two years in the making, “Retour aux Sources” is an immersive visual and sound installation combining art and artificial intelligence, and it speaks of the irrefutable, interdependent relationship between humans and nature.