'This Is Where The Story Starts': New Veuve Clicquot Exhibition Astounds With All-Women Artist Line Up

Since 1772, France's finest champagne house Veuve Clicquot has shown unwavering commitment to women. Champagne aside, the brand is living proof luxury isn't just for men, a fact verified by their international program BOLD by Veuve Clicquot, which has served women in business awards since launching in 1972. Their latest efforts are revealed in the brand's London touchdown of their travelling exhibition Solaire Culture (with a site-specific custom BOLD room), drawing inspiration from the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder. An ode to more than just that one drink we all love, Solaire Culture embraces the finest women artists of now - old and young, new and established - to champion the house's 250th anniversary.

Starting by diving into the cultural footprint of Veuve Clicquot, Solaire Culture lends itself to the history of the iconic brand and the audacious female leader that started it all, Madame Clicquot. By paying tribute to her (lest we forget, women weren't allowed to vote until the 20th century, let alone run a business on their own some 150 years before), curator Camille Morineau made sure to feature only women in the exhibition, which details work by the following nine artists: Moyoco Anno, Pénélope Bagieu, Olimpia Zagnoli, Sheila Hicks, Cece Philips, Inès Longevial, Rosie McGuinness, Monique Frydman and Yayoi Kusama.

Beginning with the woman that started it all, the exhibition's collated artworks exist to translate the sheer force of nature this woman was. Under Morineau's 'carte blanche' orders, each artist enlisted was given a specific brief to create a piece of work that either referenced a Madame Clicquot creation or, in short, the sun (referencing the bottle's signature carnation yellow label - a British staple of the brand, copyrighted in 1877). As a result, contributions are varied and introspective, mirroring the rest of the show's display - all of which pay tribute to 250 years of Veuve Clicquot. Speaking to Morineau about the artists involved and how they came to contribute, she fervently enthused, 'I wanted to invite all of them to take part in Veuve Clicquot's creative spirit'. As for what made it into the final cut, Morineau explained 'their work coexist with objects already commissioned to designers by the brand, and with archival works showing the great heritage of this exhibition' counting the 'natural draw from artists towards Veuve Clicquot' as a highlight by mentioning the 'statement pieces such as the one from Yayoi Kusama as early as 2006.'

With the contributing artists split into three categories, each group's brief slightly differed. For the three younger international artists Inès Longevial, Cece Philips & Rosie McGuinness, interpretation was everything due to being 'chosen to represent Madame Clicquot at a younger age, as a full carte blanche to their imagination as no archive exists of this key female icon in her early years', noted Morineau. When it came down to the three illustrators involved - Moyoco Anno, Pénélope Bagieu & Olimpia Zagnoli - each was tasked with representing 'three pivotal inventions of Madame Clicquot' however they saw fit. Alas, it was what Morineau refers to as the 'two grandes dames', Sheila Hicks and Monique Frydman, that were given the most abstract of orders yet: 'to interpret the house colours as an immersion into the sun.' As for Yayoi Kusama? 'She parallels Madame Clicquot' states Morineau. It's as simple as that.

Noting the cultural importance of this exhibition touching down in London (the show's third destination thus far), Veuve Clicquot CEO Jean-Marc Gallot commented, 'This exhibition is an unprecedented event for Veuve Clicquot and the symbol of our capacity to dream big and constantly innovate. Now we travel to the United Kingdom, our third global destination, to bring the exhibition to life in London, a true melting pot of culture and creativity'.

When dealing with an exhibition like Solaire Culture, an all-women line-up would seem like an obvious answer, particularly when referencing a brand that grew thanks to one woman over 200 years ago. However, Morineau is quick to take note of the uneasiness such an offering can too frequently cause. 'Some people sometimes say that these gender-controlled shows run the risk of isolating a genre', she voices. However, it's not all doom and gloom. 'I strongly believe that when one of the genres has been left out, it is important to make it more visible as long as the balance remains unequal' Morineau Professes. 'Many museums have done that since and still are in the process of. This is quite a revolution of knowledge, and I am happy to be part of it. Besides, Madame Clicquot was the first woman entrepreneur and a designer herself: this is where the story starts.'

No stranger to all-women shows, Morineau, who co-founded the non-profit organisation AWARE (Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions) in 2014, launched the concept in Paris as early as 2009 with elles@centrepompidou, an all-women presentation of the museum's collection. 'It lasted two years and brought 2,5 million visitors', Morineau says. The proposal also came at a time when the Centre Pompidou's chief curator Christina Macel was quoted saying in response: 'Art has no genre, but artists do'.

By celebrating Madame Clicquot at length, especially in the context of successful contemporary artists, the house shines a light on her importance and success in the 1700s just as much as it does today. Echoing this thought, Morineau told the press, 'Madame Clicquot was a 21st-century woman born in the 19th century', translating to the idea that 'one cannot change the future without looking at the past differently'. Sure, we know women haven't been treated as equals throughout history, but denying her extraordinary success all because women were told to be subservient would be foolish. 'Madame Clicquot belongs to an era which is considered to be women-unfriendly, something we should challenge', Morineau argues. 'If she could create an international brand, it proves to us that, at the same moment, some women artists created an international image. The recent Rosa Bonheur show in Musée d'Orsay reinstates this line of thought. These extraordinary women are role models for XXIth women artists. They did succeed in incredibly hard times.'

Asking what she hopes visitors take away from Solaire Culture, Morineau's answer is as plain sailing as can be. 'I hope they will learn about the amazing life of Madame Clicquot and be inspired, but also come out refreshed and energised, with the feeling of joy and enthusiasm we all felt working on the show. The omnipresent sun and the yellow hues which pervades the space - yellow being the iconic colour of the house - are here to welcome all visitors from all generations and share Clicquot's joy and hope.' Luxury may be a man's world, but not if Veuve Clicquot have anything to do with it.

Mixing sun, champagne, art and culture, the Veuve Clicquot Solaire Culture exhibition will be open to the public until 6 June at Piccadilly Circus, London.