THE MACALLAN AND MATTE JOINED FORCES AROUND A SHARED DEVOTION TO THE ARTS TO PRODUCE A CAPTIVATING EVENT AT ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2022
Built on craftsmanship. Committed to creativity. Together, we curated an immersive weekend-long experience at The Bass Museum during Art Basel Miami Beach in celebration of The M Collection of single-malt whiskies: The Macallan M, M Black, and M Copper.
THE MACALLAN AT ART BASEL
The Macallan charged MATTE with the unique opportunity to launch The M Collection, enhancing The Macallan’s legacy as the ultimate symbol of craftsmanship and creativity.
The M Collection acts as a prism into the world of The Macallan. The collection features an array of limited edition single malts, each inspired by one of The Macallan’s six pillars. A series of unique spirits in The Macallan portfolio, they are not defined by their maturity, but by their taste and quality, making each one completely unique.
CREATIVE WAY IN
The rich colors of The M Collection are the embodiment of The Macallan’s commitment to craftsmanship and dedication to using the finest, 100% natural ingredients. With this in mind, MATTE curated a series of events grounded in artistry, featuring masters of their craft and furthering The Macallan’s connection with the natural elements.
A BESPOKE EVENING AT THE BASS MUSEUM
OF MUSIC, ART, AND LIGHT
ENTRANCE TO THE MACALLAN M
The arrival moment was a literal gateway to the event on the front lawn of the museum. MATTE installed an entrance of wall-like structures, and inlaid a glowing M logo that inspired intrigue, drawing passersby further into the experience.
A MULTI-FACETED PERFORMANCE
A MASTER IN HIS OWN CRAFT AND ARTISTRY
The Macallan and MATTE selected multifaceted musician James Blake, for an intimate multi-visual performance outside of The Bass Museum. Surprise guests from The New York City Ballet accompanied Blake on stage for a portion of the performance, as the entire museum facade came to life through a show in projection mapping synced to the music.
A SHOW IN PROJECTION MAPPING
The Macallan and MATTE collaborated with Oscar Zabala, an artist who specializes in marrying visuals to sound, to projection map the museum–integrating the building’s Art Deco architecture as an inextricable element of the performance. As James Blake performed, Zabala live-created audio-reactive visuals on site.
THE CELEBRATIONS OF ART AND LIGHT
A PORTAL
INTRODUCING THE M COLLECTION
On the backside of the entrance gateway, MATTE embedded a PROTO hologram highlighting 3D modeled bottles of The Macallan M Collection dancing in and out of elemental formations.
Guests and passersby were invited to interact, take photos, and go beyond the gates to continue on their sensorial journey through the world of The M Collection.
LIGHT INSTALLATION
DOUBLE SPEY CAST
A proud symbol of Scotland, the Double Spey Cast light installation paid homage to The River Spey that weaves its way through the heart of The Macallan Estate.
Invented in the 1800s, the term Double Spey Cast is a fly-fishing technique invented on these waters. The technique served as inspiration for the undulating shape of this sculpture, built from copper chemetal and LED lights.
THE BARS
The bars were key touch-points on the lawn of the museum for guests to stop by and enjoy custom event cocktails. With four bars on premise, each backbar had an accompanying LED–a visual red thread throughout the experience–featuring custom textured videos that showcased the natural elements represented by each bottle in The M Collection.
VIP EXPERIENCE
THE BASS MUSEUM, AFTER HOURS
Inside the Bass Museum, an intimate group of VIP guests were invited to partake in an intimately curated dinner experience, inspired by the contemporary arts. As our VIPs entered the museum, they were greeted by a display of decorative custom plinths, scattered around the space. Each one exhibited a crystal decanter from Lalique, the luxury French crystal maker, filled with a rare Macallan whisky.
THE DINNER EXPERIENCE
VIP guests were seated at a custom-built circular dining table in the courtyard. A bottle display at the center of the table featured The M Collection encased in geometric blocks of ice that slowly melted throughout the dinner. Leaning into themes of performance, lighting choreography signaled that dinner was ready to be served and highlighted different drams of The Macallan throughout the meal. Guests were able to enjoy each expression of The M Collection with dinner, retailing at over $1,000 a glass.
JORGE MÉNDEZ BLAKE
In partnership with The Bass Museum, The Macallan selected Jorge Méndez Blake as the recipient of The Macallan Prize.
For this site-specific commissioned artwork Haikus de Tablada, Jorge Méndez Blake (b. 1974, Mexico) was inspired by Mexican poet Jose Juan Tablada, the first writer to translate and introduce haikus to the Spanish language.
THE DECONSTRUCTION OF 99 POEMS
By deconstructing the 99 poems contained in the books, Blake creates a visual composition that uses each and every word and punctuation symbol.
While in general the themes of the haikus refer to nature, animals and plants, the words invite each individual viewer to create their own narrative, with personal connections colored by time and place.
THE MACALLAN: A PATRON OF THE ARTS IN EACH BOTTLE
With sustainability as a guiding principle, The Macallan draws inspiration from its surrounding 485-acre Estate in Speyside Scotland, as a driver of innovation. The Macallan strives to honor and respect the natural processes, drawing creative inspiration from the same nature, animals, and plants celebrated in Haikus de Tablada to craft each bottle.
A long standing patron of the arts, this work is generously sponsored by The Macallan, and will live in perpetuity as part of The Bass Museum’s permanent collection.
