ABSOLUT WARHOL CREATIVE FACTORY: A Timeless Dialogue Between Contemporary Art and Andy Warhol
From November 29 to December 11, 2024, Absolut Vodka and UCCA Lab, under UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, collaboratively present “Absolut Warhol Creative Factory,” an innovative pop-up art space at Shanghai K11 Art Mall. This initiative continues Absolut Vodka’s longstanding legacy of championing contemporary art while offering an immersive experience of creativity and culture to the public. Organized by Absolut Vodka and curated by UCCA Lab, “Absolut Warhol Creative Factory” features a newly commissioned work by emerging Chinese contemporary artist Bao Rong in an exploration of the dynamic relationship between art, culture, and everyday life that is built upon the Absolut brand ethos. The “Absolut Warhol Creative Factory” is free and open to all.
Absolut Vodka has long advocated the belief that art holds power for transcending differences and uniting people. Since its first collaboration with Andy Warhol in 1985, the brand has partnered with over 550 artists, inviting them to draw inspiration from its iconic elements. In October 2024, the rediscovery of the Absolut Warhol blue painting at Stockholm’s Spritmuseum opened a new chapter for Absolut to continue a creative dialogue with Andy Warhol.
To reinvigorate collaboration with Andy Warhol, Absolut Vodka has launched “The Other Half,” an innovative project inviting artists from diverse backgrounds worldwide around to reimagine and complete the lower half of this iconic painting. In China, artist Bao Rong was specially commissioned to bring her distinctive artistic vision to this initiative. Utilizing cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology, Bao Rong created a video artwork titled Absolut New Bee. The artwork Absolut New Bee creates a mysterious world within a bottle. Using an intelligent random algorithm, self-organizing biological swarms flutter inside the bottle, forming a cross-temporal dialogue with the expressive strokes of Andy Warhol’s upper-half artwork. The bees’ forms are edited into particle-like movements, generating turbulent waves akin to natural water flow, embodying a state of opposition between randomness and precision. The artist encapsulates this dynamic tension within Absolut Vodka’s iconic bottle. On one hand, the work looks back, responding to Warhol’s rebellious spirit against his era. On the other, it looks forward, searching for the latent biological energy that seeks to break free from the constraints of algorithmic order.
In addition, Bao Rong will showcase her newly created interactive installation, Surge, inspired by Absolut Vodka’s “Born to Mix” ethos. This work employs the metaphor of cocktail mixing to explore the fusion of diverse elements in life. The main installation features the shape of an Absolut Vodka bottle, with the shaking motion symbolizing the continuous interaction where different people, and ideas converge, driving creativity and innovation. This work, with its vibrant and humorous language, invites the audience to immerse themselves in the “cradle of possibilities” and actively participate in the process of creating new things.
Reflecting on the project, collaborating artist Bao Rong shared: “In the creation of ‘Absolut Warhol Creative Factory,’ my aim is to offer an immersive and participatory art experience through the installation Surge. The burst of artistic inspiration mirrors the process of mixing a cocktail—combining different elements and ideas to create new possibilities. This work not only pays tribute to Absolut Vodka’s creative ethos but also invites every audience member to actively engage in the collision of inspirations and experience the transformative power of creativity and innovation together.”
Inspired by Andy Warhol’s iconic creative hub, the “Silver Factory”—an incubator of countless ideas and artistic innovation—the“Absolut Warhol Creative Factory” pop-up art space reimagines this legendary venue for the contemporary era. By bridging past and present, the project invites audiences to celebrate moments of creative collision. In this modern “Silver Factory,” visitors can not only experience the enduring allure of Warhol’s artistry but also engage with interactive installations and creative experiences of today’s contemporary artists. Together, these elements reveal an infinite space born of the ongoing dialogue between contemporary art and timeless culture.
Alongside the campaign, Absolut has released a limited-edition bottle inspired by Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting. Featuring a visually striking, multi-layered screen-printed design, this collectible bottle embodies a unique artistic aesthetic. The limited-edition bottle is now available at: https://3.cn/2802-U3t
About Absolut Vodka
Absolut Vodka is a world-leading premium spirit, made in one of the most energy-efficient distilleries in the world. Every drop of Absolut Vodka is produced in and around Åhus in Sweden – and while Sweden is its home, Absolut Vodka spans more than 140 markets around the world. Part of the Pernod Ricard group since 2008, Absolut Vodka is a champion and platform for social progression through creative collaborations and innovative products – its iconic bottle has been interpreted hundreds of times by renowned international artists and fashion designers.
About UCCA Lab
As UCCA’s interdisciplinary platform dedicated to exploring diverse possibilities in artistic collaboration, UCCA Lab engages in cultural projects initiated by local governments and partners with leading brands and cross-cultural creators across fields to present multifaceted art initiatives. Through in-depth collaborations, UCCA Lab amplifies contemporary culture and the power of art in various communities, cities, and countries. At the same time, it continues to explore the practice of urban localization, constantly expanding the boundaries of art projects and bringing the essence of art to broader audiences.
About the Artist – Bao Rong
Bao Rong (b. 1997, China; lives and works in London) holds a Master of Arts from the Royal College of Art. Renowned for her unique visual language and incisive critique of societal norms, Bao Rong’s artistic practice is deeply rooted in a multidisciplinary approach, encompassing sculpture, painting, video, and installation art. Her work offers profound responses to contemporary cultural and environmental issues. Her solo exhibitions include “Rong Bao is Me” (Saatchi Gallery, London, 2024). Recent group exhibitions include: “Grand Dessert – De geschiedenis van het toetje” (Kunstmuseum Den Haag, Netherlands, 2024); “West Bund Art and Design Fair” (Spurs Gallery, Shanghai, 2024); “Stemming from Umwelt” (Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing, 2024); “Mary Mary” (The Colab Artist Garden, London, 2024); “Giant Objects in Motion, Bodies in Weightlessness” (inner flow Gallery, Beijing, 2024); “Buffer 2” (Guts Gallery, London, 2023); “A New Day, A New Dawn” (The Bomb Factory Art Foundation, London, 2023); “Middlesbrough Art Week” (Middlesbrough, 2023); “Enigma Garden” (The Artist’s Garden, London, 2023); “Original Above… Below” (Spurs Gallery, Beijing, 2023); “Hung, Drawn & Quartered” (Standpoint Gallery, London, 2023); “EXPO CHICAGO” (Chicago, 2022), among others.
