Veuve Clicquot takes pride in shining its “solaire” culture on the world through bright, boundary-pushing experiences, and the latest manifestation took the shape of an “Emotions of the Sun” photo exhibition in New York City hosted in partnership with renowned photography collective, Magnum Photos. Rather than tell its own story, Clicquot designed the weeklong “celebration of the sun” to immerse consumers in its deep-rooted philosophy of optimism, as seen through the eyes of eight diverse photographers.
On the heels of exhibitions presented in Japan, Italy and London in 2022 and 2023 celebrating its 250th anniversary and brand heritage, the champagne house this year turned to photography—a medium that requires an appreciation for sunlight—to continue telling that story. From June 18-23 in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, the Emotions of the Sun exhibition was free and open to the public, with both reservation holders and walk-ins welcome.
It was hard to miss the façade of the building, which was painted in the iconic yellow shade of Clicquot’s label. Inside the custom gallery space, set against the brand’s sunny hue, 40 photographs that were snapped in eight different countries were on display. The entire exhibit was curated by Pauline Vermare, curator of photography at the Brooklyn Museum, with assistance from French designer and scenographer, Constance Guisset. And with the freedom to capture their personal interpretations of the sun and the emotions it evokes, the Magnum photographers presented a broad spectrum of imagery featuring varying shapes, tones, perspectives and environments.
“We found [photography] would be a good medium to share the work of others, but at the same time, tell our stories through their eyes and through this partnership. It’s still Clicquot, but it is not only about us; it is the universe of Clicquot, expressed in the eyes of new creators,” says Adriana Angulo, head of marketing US at Veuve Clicquot. “So the exhibition is also an opportunity to gather, to invite people to come and visit us, to host in a bigger way and create a space of gathering. I think that’s what an exhibition provides.”
The first floor of the space featured work by four photographers and carried a more traditional gallery vibe, while the second floor included the work of the other four artists in a more celebratory atmosphere featuring a dj and a video broadcasting the stories of how the photographers captured their shots, and the emotional impact they had.
At the end of their on-site journey, attendees stepped into a mini pop-up shop where they could purchase “classic” Clicquot items, including post cards, mugs, posters and handbags, as well as items specific to the exhibition, like an “Emotions of the Sun” book created in partnership with Magnum. (Fun fact: The photography collective’s name derives from a magnum of champagne—a 1.5-liter bottle.) Attendees could also assemble at picnic tables located outside the building to soak up the sun before leaving the experience.
Of course, this is a spirits brand we’re talking about. So despite strict laws around alcohol sampling within the gallery, Clicquot found a clever way to get its liquid to consumers’ lips and “create energy beyond the [activation] space,” Angulo says. The brand provided an interactive map highlighting 50 of its accounts around Manhattan where consumers could sip champagne in the sun, and in some cases, explore food pairings.
In addition to regular gallery viewing hours, on June 18 and 20, intimate groups of photography lovers could join Veuve Clicquot and Magnum Photos for conversations with three of the featured photographers—Cristina de Middel, Olivia Arthur and Alex Webb—and, in this case, a glass or two of bubbly.
In the end, Veuve Clicquot had good reason to pop a few corks. With the help of influencer partnerships and a media plan, Emotions of the Sun drew 7,000 visitors who spent an average of 22 minutes on-site, while roughly 100,000 people passed by the building façade during the program’s run.
“We have a full team in Paris that manages these kind of partnerships,” Angulo says. “I think there was an easy connection [with Magnum], it flowed very well, and it was very inspirational for us. It started as a smaller project that became bigger when we saw the results of the photography that came out. We all felt that we needed to share it in a bigger way.”
Spin Through the Exhibition:
Photos: Courtesy of Veuve Clicquot
