“The Gentifier” by Zhivago Duncan at the launch of the Absolut Berlin bottle. Copyright Ereignislichter
Absolut vodka is continuing its cooperation with artists with its first ever German edition, designed by the artist known for his “bad boy” attitude as much as his paintings and multimedia pieces. The artist’s work touches on the glamour and shine of celebrity, some of which work with the persona of Dick Flash.
The background of the bottle is soft pastel hues, covered with the rough spray paint logo of the bulbous round of Berlin’s iconic TV tower, graffitied with “Es ist nicht einfach immer ein Rebell zu sein” (It’s not easy to always be a rebel). Here Sleek talks to the artist, at the launch party of the Berlin bottle design, about what makes the city so special, and moving on from being a rebel.
Sleek: For the event tonight you have produced a performance piece, could you explain a bit about it?
Zhivago Duncan: The piece is called the Gentrifier. It’s based on the idea of making things softer. It takes the colours from the back of the bottle, going over these rough abstracted screen prints of places from Berlin. The title is very controversial…
“The Gentifier” by Zhivago Duncan at the launch of the Absolut Berlin bottle. Copyright Ereignislichter
The idea of gentrification is very current in Berlin right now. What are your thoughts on the phenomenon?
I mean it’s not just Berlin, it’s a trend everywhere you go. In 2007 when I arrived, it was the same Berlin, but very different. Berlin reacts in a very different way from other cities to gentrification. Things are not as fast as they are elsewhere, and there’s not much cultural diversity.
There’s more interaction between the communities here in Berlin. Things are still creating and evolving, and the standard of life here is still very good. Things have to evolve at some point.
Could you explain the idea behind the quote on the bottle?
The quote on the bottle is “It’s not always easy to be a rebel.” I’m moving on from being a rebel to some extent. The spray painted background of the bottle represents something that used to be a part of my life a lot more. This project was a means to close this part of my life, to get rid of Dick Flash.
A lot of your work plays with the ideas of consumer culture. How did you feel about collaborating with a brand for the bottle?
My work is on capitalist and consumer culture, but it’s also about the loss of identity through these notions. In terms of that, it’s a succession of a lot of really great artists who have collaborated with Absolut through the years – there’s a freedom within the company.
How do you feel about Berlin being the first German city to have a bottle designed?
It’s funny that it’s the first German edition, since a lot of people think Berlin is not really Germany, even though it’s the capital. it’s always been like that: Berlin is a creative city. From the 20s, it’s been broken down, cut in half and now come back after the fall of the Iron Curtain. It’s become this hub again, simply because of the availability of space – the freedom and the notion of doing what you want.
There are freedoms that are harder and harder to come by in Berlin – now there are a lot more rules and regulations. When I first moved here I had a space where I could use my angle grinder at 5.30am and get no complaints. I moved to Wedding because it was the “real place” and five years later, everyone’s in Wedding, so I was like “Fuck it, I’m moving to Mitte”. Here, it’s the same thing, just with better restaurants!
So you feel like Berlin as a city has nourished you?
Absolutely. Berlin has been so good to me. It’s my home – I chose Berlin. For the next year I have a studio in Wadi Rum, Jordan, in the desert. I’m going to the absolute place of freedom in order to take my freedom level to such an extent that I need some structure. I was just out there doing a project with AK-47s and spray cans: total insanity. It’s scary how much you can do out there. As an artist, moving somewhere where survival is not easy – it puts me out of every comfort zone I have. This is where I’m interested to continue to make my work at the moment, to push the borders of my ideas and my visions.
Find out more at Absolut.com