After ‘Rudement Chaud’ by artist Vincent Rahir in 2021, then ‘La Mue’ by Véronique Durazzo-Tordjeman and Didier Ducrocq in 2022, the Hôtel de Brimont – Champagne Jacquart’s head office in Reims – welcomed the ‘Jardin Partagé’ by artist Victoria David from 16 June to 5 December 2023.
To create her ‘Jardin Partagé’ or shared garden, Victoria David drew her inspiration from the geological history of the Champagne region – its multi-layered soils, with their build-up of clay and limestone, are ideal for growing vines. Echoing these sedimentary soils, the artist used an accumulation of materials in successive layers for her five sculptures made from layers of coloured plaster. Victoria David was also inspired by the historic and artistic heritage of Reims, offering her own personal interpretation of certain bas-reliefs, sculptures and gargoyles from Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral.
The sinewy, hollowed shapes of the artwork offer a visual contrast to the Louis XV-style architectural lines of the Hôtel de Brimont, where the past meets the future, straight lines face curves and heritage confronts avant-gardism. These dualities make the perfect match for the inherent nature of Champagne Jacquart, a young, free-spirited, contemporary-styled company which immerses itself in traditions so that it is better equipped to revisit them.