Linear: Crossing Paths – Dom Pérignon

Photography by Michel Fainsilber

Renowned French winemaker Dom Pérignon has united with pop artist and sculptor Jeff Koons to create a limited edition joint installation titled the Balloon Venus.  The Balloon Venus features a smaller replica of one of Koons’ seminal works, also titled the Balloon Venus, which, when opened, reveals a bottle of Dom Perignon Rosé Vintage 2003.

Photography by Michel Fainsilber

This interdisciplinary collision of two outwardly different creative forces marks the alliance of two trajectories towards the mutual goal of uniting a “respect for tradition” with a “flair for innovation”.   As Head Chef of Dom Pérignon, Richard Geoffroy, said of the project “It’s about life, it’s about energy… to be put in the perspective of time.”

Photography by Raphael Gianelli Meriano

The parallels between the ideology of Koons and Dom Perignon become apparent not only through the collaboration that is the Balloon Venus, but also through the juxtaposition of their creative differences. Koons is a contemporary artist known for his futuristic interpretations of the mundane, which contrasts sharply with Dom Pérignon’s strong emphasis on preserving tradition throughout its 92 years of producing vintage champagne.

The union of opposing concepts such as past and present highlights the linear nature of time as it establishes a common point between the two, removing the notion of time as a transient and ambiguous concept. The same can be said of the Balloon Venus, originally a piece from Koons’ Antiquity Series, as it exhibits Koon’s signature and decidedly modern stainless steel and reflective finish while also encasing and protecting a bottle valued for its ties to the past. “Balloon Venus represents the continuation of life’s energy. A great vintage also represents the vintages that will come, and so it’s about the continuation of something. It’s a continued creative process.” – Jeff Koons

For more information see the official website of Dom Pérignon and Jeff Koons.