Going against the flow

But as with all matters Ruinart, it's already doing something way cooler than all of its immediate competitors, yet you probably wouldn't know it. "On top of the art fairs, we also support a programme for young artists and established artists," explains Dufour. "Almost all of our Instagram posts, for example, show the work of young photographers that are part of our programme." Who knew? Start following a three-century-old champagne company on Instagram and lo and behold, you'll discover a variety of progressive young fashion photographers such as Nastasia Dusapin and Antoine Henault.

Meantime, self-described "low-tech illusionist" Muniz spent the harvest of 2018 in residence at Ruinart in Reims, initiating the "creative tension" that exists between man and nature in matters of champagne. He was surprised to discover the region has a harsh climate and a journey from hardship and adversity to wonder, so he created through his works "an ode to the power of nature and its creative flow", much of it personified through the hands of Panaïotis.