“Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista”: “Vigor” is the theme of the 2019 harvest

“Vigor” is the word that characterizes the 2019 harvest and tells the story of a great Italian wine like Ornellaia. During the presentation of the 14th edition of “Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista”, Axel Heinz, director of the Frescobaldi family’s famous Bolgheri Estate said, “the results come from a less complicated year than others, and had very clear phases, perfect ripening, plus it was a faster harvest than usual”. The artists’ harvest project links great wine and arts patronage, which, as Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, in Ornellaia stated, “from the first edition in 2009 that presented the 2006 vintage, has donated over 2 million dollars to charity”, to foundations and museums all over the world. Two artists of International caliber, such as Nathalie Djurberg, a Swedish video artist who lives and works in Berlin, and Hans Berg, artist, music producer and live performer were called to interpret “Vigor” on the label. They have both focused their work on the theme of metamorphosis, the cycles of nature and its transformation, as well as the relationship between man and the land, like the finger depicted on the label, which leaves its imprint on the land. It “perfectly represents wine that fills one with curiosity and the desire to get to know it little by little, but then it leaves a tangible mark on those who stop and taste it. It is, therefore, the energy that nature gives to plants and men, but above all to the territory, which is expressed in vitality, and the lifeblood of “Vigor”, is found in the glass”.
These are the concepts that have been expressed for the project, which progresses from the design conceived for labels on 750 ml and 3 liter bottles, to sculptures of the large 6-liter and 9 liter formats. They, as usual, will be sold and auctioned at Sotheby's, during the online auction scheduled from October 5th to 19th, 2022. Since 2019, proceeds have been donated to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in support of the innovative “Mind’s Eye” program, which is designed to allow even by the visually impaired to enjoy art. And now, from New York, thanks also to funds the Ornellaia’s “Vendemmia d’Artista” project has raised, it will be extended to Venice and Bilbao. “The generosity of Ornellaia has allowed us to expand Mind’s Eye, connecting participants throughout the world through virtual projects. What we have learned over the past three years has allowed Guggenheim to increase accessibility to both places and works of art through multisensory explorations. We are grateful for Ornellaia’s continued support”, said Richard Armstrong, director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum & Foundation. “It gives us immense satisfaction to see the project grow internationally”, added Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, in Ornellaia, “and to know that the work we are doing gives the blind or visually impaired the opportunity to discover contemporary art through the use of the senses”. The works of art were also created from the senses, as the authors explained. “The inspiration came from the land, from the ground”, said Nathalie Djurberg, “from what is underneath, which is normally considered ugly and dirty, but which is the source of life, because it comes from the hands of man who gives shape to the earth, from which something is created that then becomes art. We wanted to enhance this hidden beauty, this “secret” that we rarely think about. They sent us the earth in sacks, it was hard and one color only. Then we decided to wet it, and it changed color, touch, shape, and feel. That, for me is art”. “Tactility”, confirmed Hans Berg, “was fundamental in the creative process”. It transformed “Vigor” of the wine into the character of the bottles as well.
“Vigor in viticulture”, said Axel Heinz, “is the strength of healthy plant growth. It is the active force in the body and mind. It is the character of a wine that captures the senses and projects the taste into a natural landscape of energy, power, strength and vitality. The taste, aromatic nuances and body of the wine transport it almost into a spiritual dimension, where the power of nature is at the center of the experience”. The experience also includes art that many people, thanks to “Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista”, will be able to experience in the museums around the world. “the Vendemmia d’Artista of the Ornellaia Estate”, Jamie Ritchie, International director of Sotheby’s Wine said, “was a pioneering project that united wine and art with the aim of supporting charitable works. This October will be our 14th collaboration with the Estate on this exceptional project. When we started this adventure, we had no idea that it would have led to a proliferation of charity projects in the wine world. Our customers around the world are always eagerly awaiting the opportunity to participate in the auction, and be able to purchase unique bottles, knowing that they are also supporting a noble cause that facilitates accessibility to art for blind or visually impaired people”.
And so, the new adventure of “Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista” begins in the name of “Vigor”. It is the same “vigor that we all must rediscover, after these two years of Pandemic, to restart, and to return to travel and enjoy the world, and wine, which is the expression of an art form”, Marquis Ferdinando Frescobaldi concluded.