All the profits have been given to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation for the Mind’s Eye program
New York, NY, October 20, 2022 – Ornellaia, one of the world’s iconic estates, is pleased to announce that the online auction of Vendemmia d’Artista 2019 “Il Vigore”, hosted by Sotheby’s, finished yesterday. The fine bottles of wine, which were designed this year by Swedish artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg, were allocated to art and wine collectors, raising a final amount of $302,000. The profits from the auction will be given to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to further the important endeavors of the Mind’s Eye program.
On announcing the results of the auction for this fourteenth edition of Vendemmia d’Artista, the CEO of Ornellaia, Giovanni Geddes da Filicaja, communicated his pleasure of having renewed the partnership with the Guggenheim Museum for another three years. “We are very enthusiastic about continuing to support the development of this special project that we believe in. Since the beginning, we wanted Mind’s Eye to be able to develop and become available to a vast audience from different places around the world. This global vision has now developed even more, ensuring that the program has become a feature of all the Guggenheim museums, in New York, Venice and Bilbao.”
Mind’s Eye is more than a mere experience; it is a set of tools capable of broadening accessibility to art through the use of the senses. As Richard Armstrong, Director of Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and Museum, explains: “With Ornellaia’s continued support, we will expand the Mind’s Eye programs to a global audience with a focus on developing the verbal descriptions in all our museums. Next year, we will produce content for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection with translations in several languages. Furthermore, we will continue the events in New York and the online programs, which will be available internationally. Looking towards 2023, thanks to the auction profits, we will concentrate on creating Mind’s Eye content for the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. These projects will continue in 2024 to expand the program, increasing the resources and the audience.”
Wine, like art, transcends words and, through the senses, the use of an emotional language takes on a universal value. The interpretation of the vintage was entrusted to the creativity of Swedish artists Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg. The themes of metamorphosis and the constantly evolving cycles of nature and its driving force form the core of the work, providing the perfect canvas for the artists of the fourteenth edition of Vendemmia d’Artista to interpret the theme of “Vigore” (vigor) through art. The precious lots provided for the auction included 9 six-liter Imperial and the only nine-liter Salmanazar of Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista 2019, whereby the evolution of the concept of the relationship between humans and the earth is expressed through the sculptures.
About Ornellaia
The name ORNELLAIA is synonymous of fine winemaking and an authentic expression of the beauty of Tuscany. The estate is situated along the Tuscan coast, a short distance from the medieval town of Bolgheri and its iconic cypress-lined approach. Ornellaia Bolgheri DOC Superiore and Ornellaia Bianco are the estate’s top wines, ensued by the second vin Le Serre Nuove dell’Ornellaia, Le Volte dell’Ornellaia and the white Poggio alle Gazze dell’Ornellaia. In just over thirty years (the first vintage of Ornellaia was in 1985), the team’s dedication, together with optimal soil characteristics and microclimate, has resulted in critical acclaim and public success within Italy and internationally.
About Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista
The Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista project celebrates the exclusive character of each new vintage of Ornellaia. Every year, starting with the release of Ornellaia 2006, a contemporary artist crafts a site-specific artwork and a set of limited-edition labels, inspired by a word chosen by the estate director, Axel Heinz, to describe the new vintage. A label styled by the artist features on one of the six 750ml bottles in every case of Ornellaia. The project also includes a limited edition of 111 large-format bottles (100 Jeroboams – 3 liters; 10 Imperials – 6 liters; and 1 Salmanazar – 9 liters) which are numbered and signed by the artist. Every year, a selection of these bottles is auctioned by Sotheby’s and the profits go to support the Mind’s Eye program by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
About the Mind’s Eye program
The Mind’s Eye program, which was established by the Guggenheim’s Education Department, helps blind and low-vision persons to experiment with art through using all the senses. The program boosts creative impressions, emotional connections and memories, whose perception lasts over time. As in art, the appreciation of fine wines requires the involvement of all the senses. Sharing this idea caused Ornellaia to support the development of this particular program. The donations collected through Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista enable the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation to develop the Mind’s Eye program activities further, with the aim of rolling out the model to other art galleries, ensuring that its excellence continues to direct museum programming for blind and low-vision persons all over the world.
