In an intriguing evening which combined contemporary art with fine dining, we collaborated with LUX magazine to take 12 guests on an exploration of champagne, culture and cuisine in our flagship Gaggenau London showroom.
As our guests entered the showroom, they were greeted by striking sculptures looming on countertops and illuminated in ovens, created by British artist, LouLou Siem. LouLou creates macabre sculptures which take form as Golem-esque human heads. When deciding how to display her art pieces, rather than simply placing her artwork on surfaces around the showroom, she saw our appliances as vitrines to showcase the sculptures in the same way you would expect in a museum or art gallery. The irony being that when standing in front of an oven, you feel compelled to open the door.
Therefore, by displaying the sculptures as if they were precious untouchable artefacts within a glass case you instinctively desire to open, LouLou created an air of tension.
“It was an interesting idea for me to shut up a sculpture in a museological way, separating viewer and object and giving it some kind of romance.”
LouLou Siem
After guests had marvelled at the sculptures, the evening progressed with a champagne tasting conducted by Darius Sanai, LUX magazine’s Editor-in-Chief. Darius showcased a variety of champagne styles, of which the standout was Louis Roederer’s Brut Nature 2009, made from 100% Chardonnay grapes with no “dosage”, or added sugar, and a label created by design guru Philippe Starck. Its super-dry style was balanced by a creamy fruitiness, making it perfect for both aperitifs and seafood.
Guests enjoyed a live Q&A with LouLou, whereby she discussed her inspiration, artistic practise and explained her installation concept.
“Working with Gaggenau was so much fun, because it is a simulation of a domestic environment and an in-between for time and space.”
LouLou Siem
To continue the evening, attendees were ushered to the live kitchen and dining area to enjoy a culinary experience, created by our culinary partner, Michelin-starred chef Henrik Ritzen. The table consisted of an interesting setting of gold heads adorning a bespoke tablecloth and ghostly faces placed upon each napkin.
When creating the menu, Henrik drew inspiration from his Nordic background to develop dishes using locally sourced ingredients. The main course consisted of fallow deer served with caramelised celeriac puree, kale and lingonberries, with the slight bitterness of the lingonberries offsetting the natural sweetness of the meat. These flavours are typical of the Swedish region.
Henrik concluded the evening with a vanilla and rum parfait and warm almond cake served in a rosehip soup. Staying true to Henrik’s passion for seasonality and locality, the rosehip used in the soup was grown and collected from his very own garden.
