Renowned Artist David Popa Unveils Stunning Biodegradable Installation on Grounds of Château Cantenac-Brown
For several years now, art has been used as a vector of communication. The biggest luxury brands are collaborating more and more regularly with international artists with strong messages. This is a trend that is becoming increasingly widespread and one that has very much caught the eye of leading châteaux and vineyards within the wine industry.
Tristan Le Lous, who has owned winery Château Cantenac Brown (grand cru classé in 1855 in Margaux) with his family since 2019, has invited Finnish land artist David Popa to create a monumental fresco in raw earth directly on the vines of the castle, on the famous plateau of Cantenac. This collaboration is a celebration of the power of the earth, as Cantenac Brown embarks upon the construction of a new raw earth cellar with an earthen vault inspired by the ancient palace of Ctesiphon.
Tristan Le Lous comments: “What I liked about David Popa’s approach is his ability to create something extremely modern from ancestral techniques. The world of wine always oscillates between tradition and modernity.”
Internationally renowned artist David Popa is best known for his vast-scale biodegradable land frescoes, such as Born of Nature II and Prometheus, which he creates using a unique mixture of earth and natural pigments, coming as close as possible to cave paintings dating back thousands of years. His works are ephemeral and always refer to his relationship to life, love, and the earth itself.
David Popa comments: “Growing up with a French mother whose family was very much involved in the wine business, I have wonderful memories of vineyards, wineries, and learning. I am certainly not an expert in the art of wine, but if there is one aspect that makes a wine great, it is the soil. And it is this soil that I take as my support, with as much respect as we owe it.”
Biodegradable frescoes are increasingly in demand, especially from cities. This type of artistic installation is harmless to the planet and has the advantage of being appreciated from the sky and captured in a digital form via striking drone footage. The work in question will be accompanied by an NFT which will be offered up for sale. The whole artistic operation is supervised by the French office of the B Corp certified international artist agency MTArt agency.
Inès Leonarduzzi, managing director France of MTArt Agency which represents David Popa, comments: “The ephemeral nature of David Popa’s works catalyses a desire to keep them, meaning Popa’s digital NFTs are very popular. Many artists want to produce NFTs but here the emphasis is on a work of art that has disappeared naturally and this idea of capturing something that does not last is fascinating for collectors; a testament to our emotions around the idea of attachment and ownership. The rarer it is, the greater the interest. Historically, NFTs of Popa’s large-scale, meaningful biodegradable frescoes sell out in just a few hours. It is a great honour to see art and the earth collaborating, as I believe that art can really raise awareness of the ecological transition and the essential care of our planet needed today.”
