The holiday season is upon us, so give yourself a treat and drop by the Veuve Clicquot exhibition “Solaire Culture” in Beverly Hills (through Nov 20).  It’s a fun and fascinating exhibition which gives us a glimpse into the life of Madame Clicquot, as well as how 10 contemporary women artists responded to her and her legacy.  The exhibition has been adeptly curated by Camille Morineau, formerly curator with the Centre Pompidou, who organized the popular and influential exhibition “elles@centrepompidou.”  The installation by Constance Guisset is an effervescent pleasure, with lots of deep yellow-orange tones that mirror the Veuve Clicquot label and keep with the theme “solaire.”  I especially like how she highlighted words and books—some in their own capsules.

“Few luxury brands can pride themselves on celebrating a 250th anniversary, and fewer still carry the name of a woman,” writes Morineau in the introduction to the catalog.  Barbe Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin inherited the champagne house after her husband died, and not only took the reins of the business but named it after herself (veuve translates to widow).  She also worked to improve the champagne’s flavor, had the bottle redesigned, and began to sell abroad.  Here we see the evolving bottle shape and label, the ledgers she kept, as well as photographs of the vineyards.

Then there’s the art that includes Moyoco Anno, Pénélope Bagieu, Tacita Dean, Monique Frydman, Sheila Hicks, Yayoi Kusama, Inès Longevial, Rosie McGuinness, Cece Philips and Olimpia Zagnoli.  Kusama is the best known here, showcasing a vintage portrait of Madame Clicquot in a vintage frame (both reproductions) covered with red dots. Further into the exhibition is a large cluster of her dotted flower sculptures.  It’s quite a range of media and style, from the cartoon strip by Anno to the installation In the Tangerine Space by Monique Frydman—an enclosure formed by yellow and saffron gauze into which you can step (without your shoes, please) and contemplate what bliss might be like.

There’s a little bistro on the second floor where you can get the real thing and snacks to munch on—and the outdoor balcony is a great place to enjoy them. While I did see walk-ins at the entrance, better to reserve a comp ticket.

Solaire Culture
450 North Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210