Spread across the 120,000 square meters of lush bucolic landscape, the carefully curated exhibition of large-scale sculptures by the Belgian artist perfectly complements the beauty of the Adriatic's untouched nature.
May 30, 2023 (Istria, Croatia) – Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, a Relais & Chateaux property, nestled in southern Istria in the midst of vineyards and olive groves, announces the opening of its new sculpture garden with a series of monumental sculptures by Belgian contemporary artist Arne Quinze. Set across 120,000 square meters of the recently opened winery and wine complex as well the hotel grounds, the open-air exhibition, curated by Berlin-based art consultant Reiner Opoku, offers an enchanting fusion of contemporary sculpture and rural nature, bringing new colors and light to the property. The inaugural show titled ‘Lupines,’ inspired by the typical flower of southern Istria symbolizing imagination and the cycle of life, will be on view from June 20 – December 2024. The new sculpture garden marks the first of many more exhibitions and cultural programming at the property in a continuous endeavor to present contemporary art in the region.
Surrounded by vast natural landscapes, cultural monuments, and UNESCO world heritage sites, the park provides an immersive experience that harmoniously blends the natural beauty of the hotel’s surrounding vineyards with the artistic vision of Arne Quinze. The Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, a family-owned estate and unique destination on the Adriatic coast, combines nature, art, gastronomy, and hospitality. Surrounded by an abundance of natural wonders, vineyards, olive groves and the crystal blue Adriatic Sea, the estate evokes the ambiance of its rich history, emulating the Istrian lifestyle, architecture, and local spirit. The central hotel with its surrounding private villas offers views of the historic Islands of Brioni, filled with cultural and historical heritage, bringing the spirit of an undiscovered jewel. With the unveiling of this new sculpture garden, the Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery offers its guests and the local community an unparalleled encounter of art and hospitality in a picturesque setting.
Arne Quinze, renowned for his captivating large-scale public sculptures, has selected exclusive pieces for the new Meneghetti Sculpture Garden. Known for his lively interpretation of nature and all of its mesmerizing cycles, Quinze brings a buoyant air of a transforming garden to Istria. With his use of material, color and organic shapes, the sculptures create a new sense of nature and inspire contemplation at the historic villa. The captivating two to five-meter-tall installations take visitors on a journey of beauty and tranquility in the abundance of lush greenery and spacious countryside adjacent to the hotel. Chroma Lupine Chameleon’s (2019) everchanging metallic blue echoes nature's diversity and beauty of transience, perfectly integrating as the olive garden’s centerpiece alongside Meneghetti’s lush greenery. The park showcases Quinze’s ability to transform masses of aluminum into a series of unique sculptures balancing ideas of beauty and equilibrium.
‘My art is my representation of how I perceive nature. I try to convey the harmony, transience and duality of nature through my work. With my art, I want to immerse the viewer in the unbridled beauty and diversity of nature,’ explains Quinze.
This boutique 58-room hotel tucked into a century-old building made of Istrian white stone expanded its offering by building several new private villas with a range of private amenities, including a pool, garden, in addition to hotel’s spa and signature restaurant only offering locally grown fresh ingredients. The hotel’s entrancing Mediterranean atmosphere is enhanced with a curated selection of Quinze's magnificent works, each carefully placed to enhance the park's natural scenery. The Sculpture Garden represents a significant milestone in the ongoing commitment of Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery to blend art, culture, with hospitality, offering guests an unforgettable sensory experience.
Following the hotel’s annual cultural programming and previous exhibitions dedicated to the region’s prominent contemporary artists such as Dušan Džamonja and Božica Dea Matasić, Meneghetti donated a share of their exhibition sales to select associations promoting young artists, strengthening their commitment to promote and support artistic production.
'Meneghetti is already worldwide known for its subtle luxury embedded in the nature surrounding it. I couldn't think of a better way to compliment the estate even more than by bringing Mr. Quinze's sculptures and placing them throughout the estate. The philosophy behind his art pieces is something we deeply cherish at Meneghetti already and we find this a perfect symbiosis of nature, luxury and art all in the same place,' says Meneghetti’s CEO Miroslav Plišo.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery:
After the Napoleon's wars, when the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy first quietly and then quickly and strongly took over Istria, a smart man called Meneghetti decided to buy many acres of land and start producing food for one simple reason – there were 6 thousand soldiers within 500 m from his estate and he was able to sell them everything that he produced. He started building houses, barns, planting vineyards and olive groves, raising goats and sheep, and hosting Austro-Hungarian officers during their leisure time. It was already then that Stancija Meneghetti began to have a reputation of one of the most beautiful estates on the Adriatic coast, and a few decades later that reputation grew even more. Abandoned by all the former armies, owners, and accidental passers-by, overgrown in Mediterranean underbrush and weeds, it was re-discovered in the early 2000s by Miroslav Plišo and his wife, Romana Kajfež, who were in search of a perfect estate for their enjoyment. There was only one condition - the place had to be located in Istria.
Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery is now a true beauty made of century-old stone, evoking respect towards the tradition of its region. Meneghetti is a symbol of luxury, an oasis of peace and quiet surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, with its winery, an outstanding restaurant providing highly personalized service, and premium, world-renowned and award-winning wines and olive oils. It welcomes anyone seeking peace, quiet and high- end service. During the redesign, the highest attention was given to every detail. The final result is the utmost quality and pleasurable aesthetics, both in the flawless interior and magical external environment. Today, Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery is a delightful luxury hotel with 48 accommodation units, a member of the prestigious Relais & Chateaux. Like any real paradise on Earth, this place is hard to find.
Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery
Stancija Meneghetti 1, 52211 Bale, Istria, Croatia
About Arne Quinze:
Born in 1971, Arne Quinze is a Belgian contemporary artist, painter, and sculptor. His work ranges from small drawings and paintings and medium-sized sculptures to massive installations in public spaces around the world with which he aims to generate interaction and dialogue between spectators and jointly encourage them to restore the balance between culture and nature. He always questioned the role of our cities and started his search for cities to become open-air museums. His work quickly evolved from Street Art to Public Art with recurring themes such as social interaction, urbanization, and diversity. Arne Quinze
About Reiner Opoku:
Reiner Opoku is a Berlin-based art consultant and international art mediator. Since the early 1980s, he has curated numerous international art exhibitions and represents a wide range of renowned contemporary artists. Opoku acts as a consultant and initiator to bring artists and the creative world together with institutions, galleries and brands by creating platforms for collaborations, publications and commissions. His office acts as an incubator for the creative industry and its various segments. He was also the founding director of the St. Moritz Art Masters in Switzerland and is co-founder of the NYC-based environmental organization Parley for the Oceans. He is partner and executive producer of the virtual reality production company Mirror+Sparks in Munich and NYC. Office Reiner Opoku
Image Credits:
Image 1. Installation View of Chroma Lupine Chameleon, 2019 by Arne Quinze, at Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery. Aluminium, Acrylic, Concrete base, 260 x 270 x 180 cm. Photography by Dave Bruel.
Image 2. Installation View of Chroma Lupine Sparsiflorus, 2019 by Arne Quinze at Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, Aluminium, Acrylic, Concrete base, 300 x 100 x 140 cm. Photography by Dave Bruel.
Image 3. Installation View of Lupine 2023 by Arne Quinze at Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery, Aluminium, Acrylic, Concrete base, 190 x 80 x 40 cm. Photography by Dave Bruel.
Image 4. Exterior View of the Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery Estate. Courtesy of Meneghetti Wine Hotel & Winery.