Spritmuseum will open on May 24 and it will be the permanent home of the Absolut Art Collection. The opening exhibition “Face it!” is a retrospective of 70 of the art pieces created between 1986-2004.
When Pernod Ricard acquired Absolut vodka in 2008, the Swedish Government retained ownership of the Absolut Art Collection. The Government has now donated the collection to the new Spritmuseum.
“The Absolut Art Collection with its 850 pieces by more than 550 artists is an important legacy of the brand and we are happy that the collection has found its home in Stockholm where it’s now exhibited to the public,” said Ulrika Lövdahl, global art manager at The Absolut Company.
Collaboration with the arts started with Andy Warhol painting the first artwork for Absolut (pictured). The story goes that Andy Warhol suggested his idea to Michel Roux (the man who introduced Absolut in the US) with the words: “I love the bottle. I want to do something with it.”
Other artists include Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Louise Bourgeois, Helmut Newton, David Shrigley, Douglas Gordon, Sylvie Fleury, Dan Wolgers and Hung Tung-Lu.
