Cognac brand Bisquit & Dubouché is celebrating its launch in the United States and official sponsorship of Frieze Los Angeles with an exclusive installation by artist Jillian Mayer. The visually stunning “Glass Room,” solely shown at Bisquit & Dubouché’s Frieze Los Angeles lounge starting February 17th, is Mayer’s first-ever, fully-immersive glass installation. Drawing inspiration directly from Bisquit & Dubouché’s legendary liquid and avant-garde approach to cognac-making, Mayer’s bold study on transformation is a must-see experience at this year’s highly anticipated fair.
Bisquit & Dubouch was acquired by Campari Group in 2018, heralding in an exciting new chapter of luxury cognac-making, complete with a global brand relaunch and the introduction of a completely reimagined design across the entire range. The Cognac relies on the double distillation technique developed by its founders – a bespoke approach that is both delicate and time-consuming as it relies on instinct to identify when the cognac has reached its ideal aromas and taste. This means distilling longer than is customary in the quest for flavors. An intrepid innovator in her own right, Jillian Mayer was chosen to pay tribute to this rich heritage of rule-breaking and artistic intuition that the cognac Maison is rooted in.
Drawing inspiration from the hypnotic ritual of swirling Bisquit & Dubouché in a snifter, Mayer’s installation invites visitors to step inside her vision of amber, burgundy, and sepia hues. A commentary on transformation, “Glass Room” highlights the amorphous nature of an oft overlooked material that dominates our everyday.
“As I learned more about the process of distilling cognac, I was excited to find out that copper is a key component of Bisquit & Dubouché’s provocative distillation process, just as glass is integral to the final presentation of the master distiller’s art. Glass, heat, copper – all these raw materials that are employed through the process of creating cognac are the same materials I’m utilizing in my work. In fact, the only metal that I use with glass is copper, as it does not impact or influence the color of the glass. This special relationship between copper and glass, flowing together as compatible materials, felt like the perfect homage to Bisquit & Dubouché,” said Mayer.
As an artist, Jillian is constantly pushing boundaries through new mediums – glass being her latest – and exploring how the physical world around us affects our lives, bodies, and identities. Her latest work utilizes techniques and materials that have long histories, but giving them a modern expression.
“When I saw the rich colors of Bisquit & Dubouché cognac swirling elegantly in the glass, I instantly felt a connection: to the materials, to that world, and to the colors themselves,” explained Mayer. “I wanted to be surrounded by that warm color palette of ambers, sepias, coppers, and rich burgundies that cognac inhabits and inspires. Then I started to think about what it would be like to have a room of these materials and it became the impetus of my design. There was never a moment where I felt unsure of this concept. I felt it, I saw it, and I knew what it should be.”
At the heart of any creative practice is an appreciation for the craftsmanship behind it – whether it’s a radical approach to cognac-making perfected over the past 200 years, or an immersive art installation that requires endless hours over a 1500-degree kiln. Both are led by intuition, instinct, and the human touch. Dating back to Bisquit & Dubouché founder Adrien Dubouche, a devoted art collector who himself designed the first Bisquit & Dubouché logotype, and original brand devotees like musical artist Josephine Baker, creativity has always been at the heart of this cognac Maison. Partnering with an innovative artist like Jillian Mayer is a natural extension of a historic brand that has always valued artistic vision and an avant-garde approach to time-honored materials.
For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
