PRESS
THE TEQUILA BRAND THAT’S ART WORLD-APPROVED BY ELLE
Featured on Elle, June 15th, 2015.
Read the full article here.
Art and alcohol have always gone hand-in-hand; some of the world's greatest masterpieces are products of a few too many libations (looking at you, van Gogh).
But at the Venice Biennale, currently on view through November 22nd, a new relationship is forged at the Danish Pavilion where conceptual artist Danh Vo has unveiled his limited edition bottle for tequila brand Casa Dragones. Etched with quotes from The Exorcist (1973), including the demon's "Lick Me, Lick Me!," the project surely encapsulates the breadth of creativity that can be found at the international arts festival, which also features a wooden sculptural exhibition co-created by Marni's Consuelo and Carolina Castiglioni called Becoming Marni.
Vietnam-born and Denmark-raised, Vo makes artwork that often reflects the clashing of cultures and a struggle for identity. His 2009 piece Oma Totem depicts the civilized possessions his grandmother received from a relief organization upon arriving in Germany, including a television set and washing machine, stacked on top of one another. This venture is no different, with Vo sourcing an American cinematic staple to inscribe a Mexican spirits brand's bottle.
Casa Dragones is hardly a virgin when it comes to art collaborations, having previously partnered with visual artist and fellow Mexican Gabriel Orozco on a specially designed bottle to accompany his 2012 mid-career retrospective, each engraved with the artist's famous Black Kite checkerboard skull. The inscriptions on the Vo bottles were hand-written by the artist's father, Phung, whose calligraphy has appeared in Danh's prior works.
With a proven track record for favoring the macabre, an eerie 666 bottles will be produced for the Danh Vo x Casa Dragones project. If you can't make it to Venice to procure a bottle in person, you can reach out via email to specialedition@casadragones.com. Drink responsibly creatively!