Pernod Ricard Announces the First Four Pernod Ricard Fellows

Regulatory News:

Press release - Paris, 11 December 2015

In November, Pernod Ricard (Paris:RI) and the Bétonsalon Centre for Art and Research announced the launch of the Pernod Ricard Fellowship (see press release). The residency programme will take shape within the walls of the Villa Vassilieff, a new cultural institution managed by Bétonsalon in the heart of Paris which will open its doors next February.

The identities of the first four Pernod Ricard Fellows, each of whom will in-turn spend three months at the Villa, are no longer a secret. Their diverse backgrounds and origins illustrate the richness of the intercultural exchanges the programme seeks to foster. The Fellows are:

- the Mexican independent researcher and curator Andrea Ancira García; the author of several works on the role of art in contemporary society such as Cultura Pública (Public Culture) (2010), Moda y Politica (Fashion and Politics) (2015) and Ars Machina (2015), Andrea is part of the Technology, Audiovisual Media and Artistic Experimentation Curatorial Research Platform at Centro de la Imagen in Mexico City.

- the Chinese artist and writer Bo Zheng; an Assistant Professor at the School of Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong and a former professor at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, China, Bo has written on socially engaged art and been published in numerous reviews and collections. His participatory works have been shown at numerous public institutions in China and other countries.

- the South Korean sculptor Sojung Jun; a graduate of Seoul National University and Yonsei University, Sojung has gained recognition in South Korea for her work combining video and performance art, in particular her One Man Theater solo exhibition at Sungkyun Gallery in Seoul in 2009.

- the Cuban artist and designer Ernesto Oroza; a graduate of the Higher Institute of Design in Havana and a former professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Design in Havana, Ernesto has explored in some depth the notion of the analytical use of contemporary objects. His work has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts among others.

These first four Pernod Ricard Fellows were selected from among fifty candidates. The artistic committee, composed of leading figures from the arts and culture all over the world, sought to promote artists and researchers known for the maturity of their work and in search of international exposure. In the three months they will each spend at the Villa Vassilieff, the four chosen artists will reap the full benefits of the encounters and exchanges facilitated by Bétonsalon and Pernod Ricard in partnership with their vast network of cultural institutions including such leading lights as the Centre Pompidou, the Musée Picasso and the Fondation Nationale des Arts Graphiques et Plastiques.

Since its creation 40 years ago, Pernod Ricard has become a recognised force both within the French contemporary art scene and internationally. It is a sponsor of numerous institutions: Centre Pompidou, the Tate Modern, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao and ArtsWestchester; not to mention all the initiatives undertaken by its brands originating with the Ricard Corporate Foundation, or by Absolut Vodka, Havana Club, Martell, etc. Pernod Ricard is defined by its trademark "créateurs de convivialité”. Creation is the result of a profoundly generous and empathetic process – reaching out to others so that we grow from our differences.

About Bétonsalon – Center for Art and Research

Bétonsalon – Center for Art and Research has been designed as a space in which to reflect on and in society, and is working towards the confluence of art and research in order to question the standardised forms of the creation, classification and distribution of knowledge. The Center for Art and Research is located in the 13^th arrondissement, on the ground floor of the Université Paris 7; Villa Vassilieff, located in the 15^th arrondissement, is the second location for its activities.

The Board of Directors of Bétonsalon – Center for Art and Research is comprised of Bernard Blistène, Marie Cozette, Mathilde Villeneuve, Guillaume Désanges, Laurent Le Bon, Sandra Terdjman and Françoise Vergès, as well as representatives of the City of Paris, the Université Paris 7 and the Regional Office for Cultural Affairs for Ile-de-France – Culture and Communication Ministry.

Bétonsalon – Center for Art and Research is supported by the City of Paris, University Paris Diderot, the Regional Office for Cultural Affairs for Ile-de-France – Culture and Communication Ministry and the Regional Council of Ile-de-France. Bétonsalon - Center for Art and Research is a member of Tram, the Paris/Île-de-France contemporary arts network, and of d.c.a / the French Organisation for the Development of centres d’art.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) et Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 "Brand Companies” and 80 "Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

www.villavassilieff.net

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151211005515/en/