Private View: Thursday, 3rd of June 2027, 6-8pm
London (London Bridge)
Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery is delighted to present ‘The Devil’s Wine’, a group exhibition inspired by champagne. The title derives from a 17th-century term used to describe the early, volatile stages of sparkling wine, when uncontrolled carbonation caused bottles to explode. This dangerous and unpredictable phenomenon was blamed on the devil, prompting some winemakers to wear iron masks for protection.
From a contemporary perspective, the term gestures towards champagne’s seductive and intoxicating potential. Long associated with high society, it is a drink of excess, aspiration and mischief, marking moments of triumph and celebration, but also consolation and despair. As Napoleon famously quipped, ‘In victory you deserve champagne; in defeat you need it.’
