Donum Estate’s ‘Hyperspace’ reimagines terroir

Winemakers deem ‘terroir’ a wine’s territorial thumbprint, but Sonoma’s Donum Estate takes the concept to another level with its recently unveiled ‘Hyperspace’ sound garden by artist Yang Bao.

The name “Donum” means gift. Acquired by Allan and Mai Warburg in 2001, the 200-acre (80ha) regenerative and organic estate produces luxury Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and blanc de blanc sparkling wine.

Donum Estate sprawls between Napa and Sonoma wine regions in Carneros, an area of fragrant eucalyptus and rolling hills. In 2011, the couple gifted The Donum Collection there, one of the world’s largest private sculpture collections.

Yang Bao joins the ranks of 50-plus other internationally renown artists with works in The Donum Collection, including Louise Bourgeois, Zhan Wang, and Ai WeiWei.

The latest art installation as part of this is called Hyperspace.

“Art, landscape, and wine just go so perfectly together,” noted Allan Warburg to guests attending the unveiling of Hyperspace on 10 July. “I think he’s [Yang Bao] created a truly multi-sensual experience. You see the art on the landscape, you smell the flowers, you taste the wine, and you listen to the music.”

Bao, a classically trained pianist, composer and installation artist, designed Hyperspace to blend seamlessly into Donum’s biodiverse estate, shapeshifting melodically throughout the seasons.

“I was always interested in multi-sensory experiences, because I grew up as a pianist,” said Bao during an interview prior to the unveiling. “But I also work in visual arts and sound sculptures. So it’s about connecting what you see and hear and smell, and what you experience as a whole, into a kind of artistic experience.”

Invisible Beauties

Set amidst a former lavender field, the sculpture includes a golden pyramid fashioned from 24k gold-coated stainless steel, resembling a multi-dimensional harp, attuned to the ambient environment. Within the pyramid, nine reflective stainless steel structures of varying sizes simultaneously play unique, site-specific compositions by Bao. The number nine symbolizes infinity in ancient cultures. Nine additional mirror-finished monoliths surround the pyramid, reflecting the vineyard’s ever-changing ecosystem.

“This creation is not just the sound, but also the visuals, the sculpture itself,” Bao said. “It’s about bringing out these invisible beauties, that we, as humans, sometimes overlook  – whether it’s the changes in wind, or rain, or the clouds. I want to bring Donum’s DNA in every part of it. It’s always changing, just like wine.”

Ultimately, Bao draws a strong correlation between his art installation and the terroir of Donum.

“I think this has played well into the philosophies of Donum,” Bao concluded. “They’re also very much interested in connecting those senses, and also about people’s connection to nature – because winemaking, just like music making, or making sound sculptures, is about connecting with what’s around it, other than itself.”