Maison Veuve Clicquot debuted its “Emotions of the Sun” exhibition in partnership with Magnum Photos in New York City on Monday to an intimate group of art and design industry leaders. The exhibition features work from eight photographers who captured and conveyed the wealth of emotions brought on from the sun.
“Emotions of the Sun” follows the house’s “Solaire Culture” exhibition presented in Tokyo, Los Angeles and London in 2022 and 2023, which similarly explored Veuve Clicquot’s Solaire culture. Notably, “Solaire culture” refers to Madame Clicquot whose free spirit and optimism inspired the house’s big dreams and consistent search for new paths for building a brighter future. The yellow associated with Veuve Clicquot, the color of the sun, works to “radiate through the world today in the house’s global footprint” and “symbolizes this spirit of joy and promise of infinite possibilities.”
“Emotions of the Sun” exhibit in New York City.
Neil Rasmus/BFA.com
Jean-Marc Gallot, chief executive officer of Veuve Clicquot, said that Maison Veuve Clicquot has been delighted to work with the internationally renowned Magnum photographers, calling them “the lifeblood of that most renowned, photographic institution.” Moreover, he said, “the exhibition confirms Veuve Clicquot’s deep-rooted commitment to culture and transmits our message of optimism to the world at large.”
To create the full collection, each of the photographers — Steve McCurry, Cristina de Middel, Trent Parke, Alex Webb, Nanna Heitmann, Olivia Arthur, Lindokuhle Sobekwa and Newsha Tavakolian — were given the same brief: a creative carte blanche to convey the emotions inspired in them by the sun. The photographers worked simultaneously across five continents, each delivering a unique interpretation.
Trent Parke for “Emotions of the Sun.”
Parke, who produced his series of photographs in Australia, shared images of the setting sun with “symbolic images of a new departure, a turn of the wheel of life and the presence of eternity in all things.” He said that “the sun has always been a symbol of the great clock in the sky. The sun is the ultimate force of life.”
Nanna Heitmann for “Emotions of the Sun.”
Heitmann’s images, photographed in Spain, represent the “osmosis of the elements honor the sun as the source of all life, the force that connects us all.” She said that “the sun is the source of light and life for our planet. It inspires awe and wonder and reminds us of the vastness and beauty of the universe.”
The “Emotions of the Sun” exhibition features 40 prints from the Magnum photographers and will be open to the public through Sunday.
