amid the amazing landscapes and breathtaking scenes afforded by sonoma, california, a person may possibly obtain a sizeable history, nature-crammed escapes, and wonderful wine. nonetheless there is a cultural gem to unearth within this northern california land — a monumental, open up-air sculpture collection and exquisite architectural intervention. the 200-acre estate belongs to donum, a producer of california pinot noir and chardonnay. the website is house to more than 50 significant will work from artists from across the globe that kind the donum assortment. operate by artists including ai weiwei, doug aitken, jaume plensa, elmgreen & dragset, and danh vo — to title a handful of — dot the amazing landscape, each piece playing with scale, character, and imagination. ‘the works are positioned in the landscape to complement and enrich the encounter and the estate,’ mei and allan warburg, house owners of the donum estate, tell designboom in an interview. ‘we don’t want to be found as just a sculpture park in just a wine estate, it is much more about putting good issues alongside one another and looking at them increase and interweave with 1 yet another.’
subodh gupta, people today tree, 2017 | picture by robert berg
(major graphic) elmgreen & dragset, the care of oneself, 2017 | image by gregory gorman
on the situation of its 20th anniversary, donum tapped danish architect david thulstrup to re-configure and rework donum house — a area for wine tasting, dining, amusement and artwork appreciation. initially crafted in 2017 and intended by MH architects, donum house attracts on the california landscape, as properly as thulstrup’s possess heritage. ‘being scandinavian, I worth simple and pared-again areas that produce a feeling of calmness,’ thulstrup tells designboom. ‘for the re-imagination of donum house, it was specifically important to improve and guidance its essence by the software of genuine materiality this kind of as californian granite and american walnut. combined with the enjoy of mild, placing an unpretentious nonetheless unforgettable temper was essential in the overall layout language.’ through uncomplicated and crystal clear architectural gestures, and the use of nearby elements, thulstrup pays homage to californian authenticity. total, in addition to the architectural transformation, a vary of custom furnishings parts have been crafted to build a refined, nevertheless calm ambiance. the design also gave the estate the chance to mirror and rehang component of the donum assortment, and even introduce new works…
designboom spoke with mei and allan warburg, entrepreneurs of the donum estate, and architect david thulstrup to find out much more about performing with a world-wide neighborhood of artists, slipping in adore with light, and celebrating artwork, sustainable farming, and architecture.
ai weiwei, circle of animals zodiac heads, 2011 | impression by robert berg
designboom (DB): what in the beginning led the donum estate to begin gathering monumental sculpture, and why was it essential to develop an art viewing knowledge for visitors and visitors?
mei warburg and allan warburg (MW + AW): we have been amassing for many a long time now. it started off with having to know the artists, which the natural way led to possessing their works and making a collection. collecting developed into commissioning and with our possession of donum in 2011, it felt like a organic merging of passions. it could possibly seem to be unconventional to spot an art selection on a wine estate, but to us, it can make entire sense. a wine estate is unique — it is a place not only for the output of wine, but also a landscape with its own individuality and terroir. the is effective are put in the landscape to complement and enrich the knowledge and the estate. we do not want to be noticed as just a sculpture park inside of a wine estate, it is much more about placing excellent matters together and seeing them mature and interweave with a single a different.
yue minjun, contemporary terracotta warriors, 2005 | picture by robert berg
DB: with a roster of artists spanning generation and geography, is there a frequent thread that underpins the selection all round?
MW + AW: the donum assortment is not an institutional encyclopaedic assortment, but a personalized labour of love that we hope our site visitors come across relatable, obtainable, and inspiring. the artworks are in just the landscape and respond to every element and seasons. there is no humidity or temperature manage. when the is effective are placed, they are on their individual to coexist with and in just mother nature. we are an evolving selection of global community of artists, such as works from leading practitioners from 18 nations.
pascale marthine tayou, mikado tree, 2010 | graphic by robert berg
DB: for all those who may perhaps not be familiar with the sonoma county spot, can you briefly explain the scenic attributes of the area landscape, and how the artworks interact with the web-site?
MW + AW: the placement of artwork on donum entails a good deal of considering and land preparation. our projects are extensive expression we are committed patrons and have an evolving eyesight for our estate. we develop 8,000 circumstances of estate-developed pinot noir and chardonnay a yr, almost everything we do has to complement just one yet another, from harvest to sustainable farming.
pascale marthine tayou, mikado tree, 2010 | picture by robert berg
MW + AW (ongoing): as we are based mostly in hong kong, because of to journey limitations, we have not been capable to check out for more than a yr now, we reminisce to times on donum. in the late afternoon, when the solar commences its descent on the rolling sonoma vineyards, we’d really like to just take a seat up at the lake property. from there, a single can see a couple operates from the art collection, with sights of the sonoma mountains and san francisco bay as the backdrop. it’s a minute to be mindful of the ‘gift of the land’ (the latin meaning of donum) and the present of collaboration with all our artists. as the carneros terroir blows via the eucalyptus grove, we hear doug [aitken’s] sonic mountain, a big wind chime, seem its attribute chords. of class, all this when drinking a glass of our pinot noir. this is the most magical hour — when all these features occur collectively on donum.
