Modern artist Go Sang-woo, whose popularity is steadily rising among collectors, is collaborating with the recently booming "Whiskey" market, which has attracted participation from the MZ generation, to present a special collaboration.
On August 4th, Shift Spirits' "Artist Edition," where whiskey meets art, will debut at The Conran Shop in Lotte Department Store Gangnam. Following the global pandemic, the drinking culture has evolved, leading to a younger demographic consuming whiskey, with the MZ generation showing heightened interest and desire to collect whiskey.
In addition, beyond traditional investment items such as real estate and stocks, there is growing attention on art tech, which involves collecting works by promising artists. This has sparked interest among art collectors and liquor enthusiasts upon hearing rumors of the Shift Spirits "Artist Edition" launch.
The first artist to collaborate with Shift Spirits' "Artist Edition" is Go Sang-woo, known as the "Pioneer of Blue Photography Art." Having held solo exhibitions in New York, Beijing, London, Amsterdam, and more, and selected as one of the top 100 Korean contemporary art influencers, Go Sang-woo rose to stardom when global pop star Madonna and billionaire Ray Dalio, who leads the world's largest hedge fund, purchased his works. Since 2019, he has expanded his artistic world with portraits of endangered animals such as bears, leopards, and lions, gaining recognition for the collectible value of his digital art as well, making him a contemporary artist of this era to watch.
The first series of Shift Spirits' "Artist Edition" consists of four works from Go Sang-woo's animal series: "Destiny Tiger," "Moon Light," "Pierrot Lion," and "Black Pearls II." Among these, the first piece is a whiskey produced at the Altbain Distillery, established in 1975 in the southern Speyside region of Scotland, carefully selected from casks aged for 25 years in medium-sized oak barrels called hogsheads (250L capacity).
The label features Go Sang-woo's most famous tiger artwork, "Destiny Tiger," capturing collectors' attention even more. "Destiny Tiger" presents the urgent human challenge of biodiversity conservation from an artistic perspective and was even featured as the background during the president's New Year's address last year as an attempt to find solutions.
A representative from Shift Spirits stated, "Through the upcoming release of the 'Artist Edition,' we aim to provide an evolved value where whiskey is not just enjoyed as a drink but can also be collected as a new form of artwork." They emphasized that the collaboration between internationally popular renowned artists and whiskey is an unprecedented attempt. They also introduced that "the 'Artist Edition,' which satisfies both art collectors and whiskey enthusiasts, will continue collaborations starting with Go Sang-woo and including artist Lee Se-hyun, known for Red Landscape."
Meanwhile, the Shift Spirits Artist Edition Go Sang-woo series, consisting of four works as one set, will be released in a limited edition of 194 sets. From August 4th to 13th, the series will be exhibited at The Conran Shop in Lotte Department Store Gangnam, allowing visitors to view and purchase the works directly.
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