Promotion: Mexican artist Fernando Laposse and French champagne house Perrier-Jouët have unveiled a floral installation during Design Miami composed of 3D-printed flowers and animals.
Displayed from 6 to 10 December 2023, the installation named The Pollination Dance is on show in Miami as part of Design Miami, which takes place during the 2023 edition of Miami art week.
The installation showcases a flower's role in the ecosystem – specifically in pollination – which Perrier-Jouët describes as "a celebration of life defined by harmonious interactions between different species".
The Pollination Dance is envisioned as a garden and aims to showcase "complex and harmonious" interactions between plants, insects and animals.
The structure is made up of various 3D-printed figurines of birds, leaves and flowers that are made from eco-resin and sage starch.
Sheer silk drapes surround the space "creating a sense of immersion", which are made by silkworms and dyed with cochineal and Mexican marigold flowers. The installation's 'branches' are dead vines taken from the liana plant, which were foraged from a forest floor in Mexico by Laposse.
Hourglasses throughout the installation contain yellow sand representing pollen. The sand runs from the hourglasses onto the installation's branches and flowers, depicting pollen's important role in the pollination process.
"The concept is pollination and I wanted to represent it in all aspects," Laposse told Dezeen. "To represent the pollen, I used a yellow dyed sand."
"All the 3D printed elements are done with a soy starch eco resin which gives the impression of frosted glass," the designer continued.
The installation aims to showcase Perrier-Jouet and Laposse's shared interest in the relationship between art and nature, in addition to referencing how Perrier-Jouët's aesthetic is rooted in the botanical Art Nouveau movement.
"Fernando Laposse has revisited the Art Nouveau heritage of Maison Perrier-Jouët with remarkable depth," said Maison Perrier-Jouët culture and creative director, Axelle de Buffévent. "Freely inspired by nature, he combines savoir-faire derived from traditional cultures with cutting-edge contemporary techniques."
"His work speaks to us through its beauty and poetry, at the same time as it reveals a deeper meaning," de Buffévent continued.
"I don't really follow a recipe," Laposse said of his creative process. "Sometimes projects start with research or a conversation, sometimes by coming across an interesting material."
"I always try to achieve logic and coherence in the different aspects of a project. To present a problem and a possible resolution, it’s never about making people gloomy but rather to inspire and uplift."
Perrier-Jouët says it has made sustained efforts over the past 10 years to limit the influence of its activities on the environment and to adapt its practices to "help nature renew itself".
The champagne house aims to have 100 per cent of its vineyards in regenerative viticulture by 2030.
"Perrier-Jouët is determined to sustain its efforts to minimise pressure on the environment," said cellar master at Perrier-Jouët, Séverine Frerson. "Above all, it is striving to help enrich the biodiversity of the Champagne terroir, to which it has been profoundly attached for more than two centuries."
In addition to the installation, Laposse has also created limited-edition art pieces "for art collectors and lovers of exceptional champagnes", including a mouth-blown glass dome, which is designed to appear like a microcosm of the installation.
Also part of the event, Perrier-Jouët has produced a book of poetry called The Song of Flowers co-curated by Laposse and indigenous poet Alberto Manguel. The book invites readers to learn about Nahuatl – the native language of the Aztecs – which still thrives today, according to the champagne house.
To learn more about the installation, art pieces and The Song of Flowers, visit Perrier-Jouet's website.
Photography is by Fernando Laposse for Perrier-Jouët.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Maison Perrier-Jouët  as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.