Studio Dror’s Latest Sculpture Riffs on Vineyards and Winemaking
Visit Brancott Estate and prepare to be mesmerized by the seemingly infinite rows of vineyards that blanket the lush New Zealand terrain. The winery, renowned for creating the world’s first Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 1979, tapped New York designer Dror Benshetrit of Studio Dror to create a permanent site-specific sculpture. Called Under/Standing, Benshetrit’s monument pays homage to the art of winemaking by emulating the geometric structure of grapevines.
The 30-foot-tall sculpture, formed of 52 precisely cut Cor-Ten steel triangulations, also riffs on the teachings of Buckminster Fuller. “He believed that in order to fully understand something, one had to build it, then stand up under it,” Benshetrit says. “Bound together by an intricate connectivity, the sculpture’s elements create a beautiful complexity.” Benshetrit is frequently inspired by Fuller; he proposed recreating a 250-foot geodesic dome in Montreal to honor Expo 67’s 50th anniversary, where Fuller’s iconic United States Pavilion debuted.
Benshetrit’s tribute to winemaking also comes in a miniature version. “We also translated the installation’s geometry into a functional, smaller scale object made of electro-coated steel,” he says. Manufactured by Bengal Fierro, the accessory, called Present, can hold up to six bottles of wine.
