Sonoma on a perfect June evening: The sun’s still strong but the vineyards are freshened by a delicious breeze. On a gentle slope, a circle of chairs surrounds a monolithic sculpture, 25-ft tall, gleaming deep black in this half-wild, light-saturated landscape. This is Sanford Biggers’s Oracle, a seated figure with a vast and brooding head, hooded eyes and an unreadable expression.
We’re at Donum Estate, a winery and sculpture garden in the Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area), an hour north of San Francisco, for the blessing of this dramatic work. The artist is here with his band Moon Medecin, a collective of musicians and performance artists, and Biggers leads a rhythmic chant as they circle the sculpture; they give way to a Buddhist abbot, Nyoze Kwong, who performs a ceremony at Oracle’s feet.
Oracle is just the latest acquisition of owners Allan and Mei Warburg. The Hong Kong-based couple — Allan Warburg lived in China for 25 years and made his fortune in fashion — have spent years building their collection, which now numbers more than 60, spread over the 200- acre estate. There are giant pieces by some of the world’s most renowned artists — from Ai Weiwei to Antony Gormley, Keith Haring, Tracey Emin, Yayoi Kusama and many others. Louise Bourgeois’s Crouching Spider, in a specially built shed, is one remarkable example. Picasso’s Woman With a Bun in an Armchair is on the wall behind it…