Moët & Chandon Celebrates the Holidays by Unveiling the ‘Your Voices’ Sculpture With Emily Ratajkowski, Daniel Kaluuya and More
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
In continuation of Moët & Chandon’s Toast for a Cause initiative, the company presented an illuminated, kinetic sculpture on Lincoln Center’s Josie Robertson Plaza in New York City, called “Your Voices.”
Created by British contemporary artist Es Devlin, the Moët & Chandon commissioned statue recognizes and celebrates New York City as the most linguistically diverse place on the planet. According to the company, more than 700 languages are spoken in the city. To represent the vast number of languages, “Your Voices” is formed of 700 glowing cords tensioned between a series of structural arcs to evoke the idea of seeing a revolving illuminated network as it rotates through a multilingual choral soundscape.
More from WWD
Devlin shared that “Your Voices” responds to anthropologist Wade Davis’ observation that “Every language is an old growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought, an entire ecosystem of spiritual possibilities.”
“As the sculpture revolves, it acts as a lens between the viewer and their surroundings,” said Devlin. “The viewer’s perspective is spliced and framed by the shifting strands of the sculpture as it turns, evoking the way our perspectives are enriched and shaped by experiencing the linguistic structures and identities of others, amidst a soundscape composed by the contemporary composers, Polyphonia, in which the powerful text from EM Forster’s 1910 novel ‘Howards End’ has been translated into multiple overlaid languages: ‘Only connect, and live in fragments no longer.’”
Inspired by “Your Voices,” Moët & Chandon’s Toast for a Cause initiative has also donated to the Endangered Language Alliance, to preserve global languages spoken in New York City.
“The holiday season is an important and meaningful time for our house — moments of celebration, sharing with those we love and giving back,” said Berta de Pablos-Barbier, president and chief executive officer of Moët & Chandon. “As we look toward our 280th anniversary next year, we are honored to collaborate with British contemporary artist Es Devlin to bring this art to Lincoln Center, as we bring the values of Moët & Chandon to New York City. We hope ‘Your Voices’ will be a beacon of light where diverse voices join and blend as a symbol of universality and inclusion. From the most-loved Champagne in the world to this iconic city.”
The house celebrated “Your Voices” on Monday with a star-studded private reception at Lincoln Center, including a performance by Mariah Carey, who sang “All I Want for Christmas is You,” and DJ sets conducted inside a champagne tower by Heron Preston and Vashtie. In addition, a series of New York-based choral performances were held within the sculpture to represent the range of rare and unique voices within the city.
In attendance were New Yorkers and notable tastemakers within the entertainment, art, fashion and cultural spheres including Jessica Chastain, Daniel Kaluuya, Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, Laura Kim, Chanel Iman, Trevor Noah and Emily Ratajkowski.
Showing her support for Toast for a Cause, Ratajkowski told WWD she thinks “it’s really cool how much Moët makes it a priority to align with charity work and do things like this.” Moreover, the bestselling author and multi-hyphenate said while she recognizes that a lot of brands and individuals give back, she is “always grateful.”
The company shared its love for the special relationship it has built with New York over the years, beginning in 1787 when the first order of Moët & Chandon reached the Americas.
During the holiday season, Moët & Chandon will bring its celebratory energy to 20 cities, including Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Paris and Madrid.
