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Veuve Clicquot brings 250 year anniversary exhibition to London

26 April 2023 By Alice Wade

Veuve Clicquot has announced its travelling exhibition is coming to London in May to celebrate the Champagne brand’s 250 year legacy.

The Solaire Culture exhibition, which has previously been in Tokyo, Japan, and LA in the US, will be located on Regent Street in London from 12 May- 6 June to celebrate the Champagne house’s 250th birthday.

The Solaire Culture exhibition will showcase its long history, with a display of more than 2,000 archival and iconic objects relating to the house, some of which includes letters signed by Madame Clicquot herself.

An original bottle of Veuve Clicquot from the 1840s, which was recovered from a shipwreck in the Baltic sea, is also among the rare objects relaying the long and culturally significant history of the Champagne house.

The exhibition is to be a celebration of Madame Clicquot’s legacy and the subsequent journey of Clicquot culture. As part of this, it will feature commissioned pieces of contemporary art, created exclusively by women.

After browsing the historical display, exhibition visitors will discover Veueve Clicquot’s vineyards and Crayères chalk cellars through film, showcasing its winemaking craft and style.

To finish, there is a library where literary extracts are played as well as music playlists that visitors are encouraged to dance to. Veuve Clicquot’s flagship Champagnes will also be on sale by the glass alongside the Solaire Boutique which sells souvenirs to commemorate the exhibition.

Visitors are then encouraged to head to Sunny Side Up Café, which has been set up temporarily following a successful pop up in Soho London in 2022, to enjoy a menu made in partnership with Andi Oliver and Veuve Clicquot.

The brand told db: “Since 1972, Veuve Clicquot has shown commitment to women and female entrepreneurs all over the world, even more notably through BOLD by Veuve Clicquot, an international program to increase women entrepreneurs’ visibility. Bold also embodies the spirit of our traveling exhibition celebrating 250 years of the Maison Veuve Clicquot. This exhibition showcases Veuve Clicquot’s heritage of female entrepreneurship in a contemporary form, and as a tribute to Madame Clicquot’s audacity, curator Camille Morineau has given nine bold and renowned female artists them carte blanche to deliver an original artwork inspired by Madame Clicquot. It’s as important now, as it was then, to continue her legacy through the vision of these incredible artists.”

“Optimism is only one of the elements we are choosing to celebrate, alongside creativity and boldness. The House has longstanding values of innovation and creativity, and a feeling of joy and optimism within this exhibition is something we anticipate our visitors and guests will experience on their journey through the exhibits. The striking contemporary artworks specially commissioned for the exhibition are full of joy and optimism – reflecting on the past and a vision for the future.”

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