Meet Liu Bolin, the Chinese artist who paints himself invisible

Can you spot the Invisible Man at the Maison Ruinart?

 

A part of a generation of artists whose works are intertwined with a changing China, Liu Bolin’s creations are captivatingly unique. Although a multi-faceted artist, from abstract paintings to technological sculptures, he is famed for becoming the Invisible Man. Painting himself into whatever setting Bolin chooses, his works are driven by a passion for immersion and understanding of context.

Interested in pushing the boundaries of art, Liu Bolin and his invisible works are the perfect match for the new era for the world’s oldest champagne house. Having worked with many artists over the years, such as Erwin Olaf and Jaume Plensa, this time Ruinart have collaborated with an artist so enthralled by the Maison’s history that he wished to become a part of it. Painting himself into all corners of the house – from the renowned Mucha poster to the vineyards themselves – Bolin has taken the historic and brought it into the 21st century. We caught up with the artist at the Maison earlier this year, where he explained how he found himself in the ancient caves, before we watched Liu Bolin paint himself into The Oyster Luncheon, a painting by Jean François de Troy in 1735, believed to be the first portrayal of a bottle of champagne, and a bottle of Ruinart nonetheless…

Hiding in the vineyards with the Ruinart Cellar Master, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart

How did you choose the locations to paint yourself into?

I choose all of the locations that I paint in, because in my eyes it really changes the message of the piece. For Ruinart, I’ve never seen anything like [this Maison] before, the caves and the colours, it’s all so vibrant.

What was it that struck you about what you saw?

 I think it was the history and the culture, you can feel it here. For me, I was so moved because I can realise I’m penetrating in that deep cultural past. In being in the Maison, it makes me see how much work goes into this now too. The context of the photography is so important to me, so I’m very attracted to places with deep culture.

Deep underground, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart

Did you face any difficulties compared to your usual locations?

 Oh yeah… (laughs) Because of the light, especially underground in the caves, it is so orangey yet dark. I don’t usually have much red in my work… And it was also so wet! Normally, we start and we leave the clothes on location for them to dry, but we came back the next day and the paint was still wet, we were so shocked! In the end we had to buy hairdryers to dry the paint… So yes, the first picture was difficult but once we got used to the conditions it was fine. The cave was definitely the hardest I’ve done though, especially without the fresh air.

What does this collaboration mean to you?              

This collaboration was an opportunity for me to discover the French culture, and explore the history of such an iconic brand. I’m so grateful that I got to share this sort of work with Ruinart and the public.

Click through the gallery below to see the full collaboration, and click here to discover more. 

Hiding in Mucha posters, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Deep underground, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Hiding in the vineyards with the Ruinart Cellar Master, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Disgorgement production line with workers, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Hiding in the gyropalettes with Pablo, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Lost in Blanc de Blancs bottles, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
Hiding in the Blanc de Blancs crayère , 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart
words
Kitty Robson
images
© Liu Bolin / Ruinart
main image
Hiding in Mucha posters, 2018 © Liu Bolin / Ruinart