New York – German artist Tobias Rehberger has opened a pop-up bar that doubles as a work of sculpture in Manhattan’s Hôtel Americano.
When at home in Frankfurt, Rehberger frequents the Bar Oppenheimer, which draws a creative, artistic crowd. After moving across the city, he missed the bar so much that he thought about cloning it in his new neighbourhood. But art dealer Pilar Corrias suggested instead that he replicate the bar in New York to coincide with the Frieze art fair.
The result, the Tobias Rehberger Bar Oppenheimer, opened just before Frieze at a private event featuring art-world luminaries including Hans Ulrich Obrist and Rirkrit Tiravanija. The sculptural space is painted with stark black and white zigzags that distort the dimensions of the space in the style of classic op art from the 1960s. The experience of having a cocktail encourages the viewer to approach work on a more intimate level than typically occurs in galleries.
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