ABSOLUT / NO FEE, NO ME...
3 November 2009
Contagious was lucky enough to head over to Stockholm over the weekend for the announcement that the Absolut vodka art collection has found a permanent home
- Brand
- Absolut
- Media Type
- Ambient / Guerrilla
- Product Category
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Source
- News
- Tags
- Andy Warhol
- Damien Hirst
- David Shrigley
- Louise Bourgeois
- Spike Jonze
- Stockholm
The collection - which is still owned by the Swedish government post the sale of Absolut to Pernot Ricard - will from 2012 permanently reside in Stockholm at the Museum of Wine and Spirits. It will be the first time that the 800 piece collection will ever be shown in its entirety.
Absolut has, since its inception, been a market leader in style and design, and since its collaboration with Andy Warhol in 1985 has built a strong relation ship with the arts. Collaborations of the past have included Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Sylvie Fleury and David Shrigley... and the latest artist to join the ranks, none other than 2009's favorite director Spike Jonze.
Anna Malmhake, vice president of global marketing for Absolut described the project as one that 'goes far beyond traditional advertising. We are working together now on Spike's vision of an Absolut world, and anticipate its realisation in the coming months'.
Absolut is one of the few brands that has truly managed to maintain the essence of every artist that it has commissioned. After meeting some of the artists that have worked with the brand over the years it became clear that this is due to the level of trust that it places in each artist. Every artist at the event noted this to be one of the reasons that they chose to work with Absolut.
Peter Dimulkas, Absolut global brand director noted of the collaboration with Jonze: 'We didn't even go to the shoot because we trusted him, and what he came back with is, I would say, a masterpiece in the modern pop culture version of us... with his twist on it'.
While some artists such as Sylvie Fluery noted that she used the experience with Absolut to research and discover areas that she may not have had the time or resources to learn about without the support of a corporation, others took a rather more cynical approach with regard to commissions, David Shrigley made clear that as long as the money was made available he would work with anyone, in his words 'no fee, no me'.
A final debate divided the room as to whether an artist collaborating with a brand is a sell out or a career boost. Either way, from viewing each of the works and speaking with the artists, its clear that for a commission to work for both the artists and brand, they must share a similar ethos, as summed up perfectly by David Shrigley 'You wouldn't hire Jimmy Cliff as the entertainment for a KKK party'.
Absolut has, since its inception, been a market leader in style and design, and since its collaboration with Andy Warhol in 1985 has built a strong relation ship with the arts. Collaborations of the past have included Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Sylvie Fleury and David Shrigley... and the latest artist to join the ranks, none other than 2009's favorite director Spike Jonze.
Anna Malmhake, vice president of global marketing for Absolut described the project as one that 'goes far beyond traditional advertising. We are working together now on Spike's vision of an Absolut world, and anticipate its realisation in the coming months'.
Absolut is one of the few brands that has truly managed to maintain the essence of every artist that it has commissioned. After meeting some of the artists that have worked with the brand over the years it became clear that this is due to the level of trust that it places in each artist. Every artist at the event noted this to be one of the reasons that they chose to work with Absolut.
Peter Dimulkas, Absolut global brand director noted of the collaboration with Jonze: 'We didn't even go to the shoot because we trusted him, and what he came back with is, I would say, a masterpiece in the modern pop culture version of us... with his twist on it'.
While some artists such as Sylvie Fluery noted that she used the experience with Absolut to research and discover areas that she may not have had the time or resources to learn about without the support of a corporation, others took a rather more cynical approach with regard to commissions, David Shrigley made clear that as long as the money was made available he would work with anyone, in his words 'no fee, no me'.
A final debate divided the room as to whether an artist collaborating with a brand is a sell out or a career boost. Either way, from viewing each of the works and speaking with the artists, its clear that for a commission to work for both the artists and brand, they must share a similar ethos, as summed up perfectly by David Shrigley 'You wouldn't hire Jimmy Cliff as the entertainment for a KKK party'.
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