The Donum Estate Announces ‘HYPERSPACE’: A Sound Sculpture Complex Designed and Created by Artist, Yang Bao

Sonoma, California - The Donum Estate, leader in single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Carneros, has proudly announced ‘HYPERSPACE’, a groundbreaking, sound sculpture complex designed and created by multi-hyphenate artist Yang Bao, that will open in July 2024.  

The latest addition to the Donum Collection, ‘HYPERSPACE’, uniquely embodies Donum’s vision to create a holistic sensory wine experience. The expansive, site-specific, sound and art complex, ‘HYPERSPACE’, was designed to blend seamlessly with the natural environment and to constantly converse with its surroundings. The sculptures reflect the seasonal landscape, while the music—a site-specific composition by Yang Bao—constantly composes itself and evolves with the wind, temperature, and humidity. The reflective surface of the structures and their placement in relation to one another create an ever-evolving soundscape that mirrors the changing natural environment and immerses guests in an infinite matrix of sensations and imaginations. 

"Through this unique sound sculpture, I aim to capture the essence of Donum evoking its subtle and emotive qualities. Guests can enjoy Donum wine surrounded by ever-changing sounds, carefully designed to create a spatial atmosphere,” Yang shares. “‘HYPERSPACE’ encourages visitors to experience the land's beauty with open senses and to appreciate the connection between humans and nature.”  

Central to the sound sculpture complex is a golden pyramid crafted from 24k gold-coated stainless steel, creating an elegant and timeless aesthetic. Within the pyramid, a futuristic space organ is constructed of nine mirror-finish stainless steel sculptures that emit ethereal melodies that reverberate seamlessly within the vineyards. Symbolizing infinity and eternity, the number nine holds significance in ancient cultures and plays a central role in the harmonious composition of ‘HYPERSPACE’. In the surrounding fields, nine additional mirror-finish stainless steel sculptures surround the visitors in a spatial soundscape that evolves through time and chance, transforming the complex into a gigantic instrument and fostering a reciprocal exchange between humans and nature. 

“The Donum Estate is a multi-dimensional winery, and ‘HYPERSPACE’ represents a bold step forward inspired by our ethos of sustainability and Yang's past collaboration with The Donum Estate in furthering our convergence of wine, art, nature and culture,” shares Angelica de Vere Mabray, CEO of Donum. “Celebrating a new era for Donum, ‘HYPERSPACE’ embodies our belief in celebrating not only the craftsmanship of winemaking but also the broader gifts of the land, art, and community.” 

Yang Bao previously collaborated with The Donum Estate in 2022, when he was commissioned to compose an original composition to commemorate the launch of ‘Vertical Panorama Pavilion’ (2022) by Studio Other Spaces. During this momentous event, Bao premiered his album 'Hyperdrive', a composition inspired by his fascination with echoes and the unpredictable nature of sound, serving as an ode to the ever-changing world beyond human control. Following the Pavilion launch, Bao began designing ‘HYPERSPACE’ with production commencing in 2023 in collaboration with Wa Liu, a multimedia artist known for exploring the interconnectedness between humans and nature.    

Since 2011, Donum has been placing large-scale sculptures throughout their Carneros Estate. At present, these include Ai Weiwei’s ‘Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads’, Keith Haring’s ‘King and Queen’, and Zhan Wang’s ‘Artificial Rock’, Yue Minjun’s ‘Terracotta Warriors’, Jaume Plensa’s ‘Sanna’ and Subodh Gupta’s ‘Soma’, among other works.  

The musical composition played throughout ‘HYPERSPACE’ will also be accessible on streaming platforms, enabling guests to enjoy their own wine tasting journey beyond the Estate. 

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The Donum Estate, BPCM

 The Donum Collection  

Founded in 2011, The Donum Collection is one of the largest accessible private sculpture collections in the world. Near 60 monumental works, including open-air sculptures are placed on The Donum Estate, a leader in single-vineyard, single-appellation Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma in Northern California. Dotted throughout, each piece plays with scale, nature, and imagination. This evolving collection brings together a global community of artists, including works from leading practitioners from 18 nations, across six continents including Ai Weiwei, Ghada Amer, Doug Aitken, Lynda Benglis, Louise Bourgeois, Keith Haring and Subodh Gupta. Donum brings to life a delicate balance among wine, land and art that has made it an international destination.  

About Donum Estate  

Founded in 2001, Donum’s terroir-driven wines reflect the energy and complexity of some of the most celebrated regions in Northern California including the Russian River Valley, Carneros, Anderson Valley and Bodega. Donum achieved the highest level of organic certification as one of the first wineries in Sonoma County to achieve Regenerative Organic Certified® status for all of its Estate vineyards. Donum is also California Certified Organic Farming Association (CCOF) certified—Donum, in fact, is Latin for Gift—and using regenerative organic farming practices creates environments in which its vines can thrive and produce the highest-quality fruit as possible. Located in the acclaimed wine region Carneros nestled between Napa and Sonoma Counties, the Donum Estate includes a state-of-the-art winemaking facility, contemporary hospitality experience, an organic farm, and one of the largest accessible private sculpture collections in the world. At the intersection of fine wine, sustainable farming and world-class art, Donum connects a global community and creates holistic sensory wine experiences that have made it an international destination. 

For more information and to inquire about a private tasting experience reservation. Follow @DonumEstate on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation using #TheDonumEstate.  

About Yang Bao  

Bao is a New York-based installation artist, pianist and composer who works in sound sculpture, live performance, composition and video. Best known for his concept of "Infinity Music,” Bao creates large stainless steel sound sculptures where his compositions multiply and evolve based on time and chance, transforming landscapes and architectures into ever-morphing soundscapes. With his versatile artistry and interdisciplinary creativity, he explores the intersection between different senses, creating an experiential synthesis of the arts. 

Yang Bao has been awarded the Maria Manetti Shrem Composer Prize, and recognized as the "Most Influential Young Artists" by Forbes China and the "Young Artist of the Year" by Robb Report. His works have been collected and exhibited by prestigious art institutions, including “Hyperdrive” (The Donum Estate, California, 2022), “Handle me” (Lady Dior As Seen By, Shanghai, 2022), “Soundmass” (TANK Shanghai, 2021), “Hear A Century Ahead” (Former British Consulate, Shanghai, 2021), “Savage Confessions” (Goethe-Institut, Boston, 2022), and “Late Night Savage” (Cc Foundation, Shanghai, 2021). He has been commissioned by Dior, Louis XIII, Devialet and Opus One Winery, among other international brands, for sound sculptures and compositions. As a classical pianist trained at The Juilliard School and New England Conservatory of Music, he frequently performs at renowned venues and festivals, such as National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Festival Napa Valley in California, Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Lincoln Center in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston.  

About Wa Liu 

Liu is a multimedia artist who works in video, painting, installation and VR to explore the porous boundaries and power dynamics between humans and nature through a multispecies lens. She received her B.A. in Anthropology and Art with distinction from Yale University and her M.S. in Art, Culture and Technology from MIT. Her research-based videos weave together anthropology, global history and geopolitics into riveting and multisensory experiences, examining how human ambitions and technologies have shaped our planet, ourselves and our future. Her paintings, fantastical and suspenseful, intimately explore the relationship and conflict between humans and nonhumans. Inspired by neuroscience, her brainwave interactive installations reimagine human agency in a time when our longings and fears are predicted and affected by machines. Wa Liu received many honors, such as the International Emmy Awards Young Creatives Award, the Forbes 30 Under 30 List, the Forbes China Most Influential Young Artists, the Porsche Young Chinese Artist of the Year, the Robb Report Young Artist of the Year, the MIT Ida M. Green Fellowship, etc. She participated in major international exhibits, including Busan Biennale, and has shown at prestigious institutions, such as MIT Museum, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, TANK Shanghai, Javits Convention Center of New York, M Woods Museum, etc.