McLean’s Artist Malts Launch with Multiplied Art Fair 2014, Christie’s London – Scotch Whisky News
McLean’s Artist Malts are delighted to be launching our annual edition with Multiplied Art Fair 2014, Christie’s London, 85 Old Brompton Road.
Now in our third year, we will showcase new works by acclaimed artists Ben Rivers and Cornelia Parker RA OBE.
The whisky that we have selected for this year, is a beautiful Speysider, distilled at Benrinnes distillery in 1992 and aged for more than 17 years. Once again we have put the spirit into a second maturation process. This takes place in a smaller cask that has been finished in sherry, making every drop unique to the edition.
At M>A>M we want to push the boundaries of what an artist edition can be, by asking artists to work in conjunction with a fine whisky we take printing to a new level. Here the whisky itself, is a print that has taken years to produce. Through a process of maturation, whisky is constantly changing and evolving. Over many years the spirit interacts with the wood, the cask breaths in the atmosphere around it and exhales the impurities within. This will ultimately effect the nose, colour and flavour of the spirit. Unlike a wine, once bottled the spirit is fixed, like a time capsule the spirit will remain unchanged, secured in its age forever.
Cornelia Parker has been intrigued by this process and how time in particular effects the spirit. In a continuation of Parker’s lunar series, this latest work Blue Luna you do not get to see the spirit. Instead you are presented with an empty vessel. For Parker’s whisky remains in the cask in the highlands of Scotland. Blue Luna will be bottled upon a blue moon on the 31st of July 2015, a rare event of two full moons in one month. The total age of the whisky is stipulated on the label by full moon cycles rather than years – the final colour, nose, taste and alcohol volume of Parker’s whisky will be unknown until this special date.
As well as the final whisky filling the empty decanter, the piece will be accompanied by a photograph taken of the blue moon on the 31st July 2015, how this photograph looks is also dependent on many unknown particulars, location of the artist, weather and equipment used. What we do know is that the accompanying photograph is as mystifying as the whisky itself.
Ben Rivers widely acclaimed for his 16mm and 8mm films will be making a 16mm film as well as an etching to accompany his whisky, this will be the world’s first ‘video art whisky’ and presented together in a beautiful bespoke cherry wood box. The film, exclusive to this project features Jake William’s from Rivers award winning film Two Years at Sea, Jake who lives as a hermit in the highlands of Scotland, sings a whisky song – perhaps to be played while drinking Ben Rivers whisky.
Ben Rivers’ name uncannily resembles the name of the distillery ‘Benrinnes’, in which his spirit was created 17 years ago. Appropriating the original label of Benrinnes, Rivers has incorporated a drawing of a faceless walker, the Benrinnes label has been defaced with River’s own name and the whisky is called ‘One for the Road’.
As with each year at Multiplied we offer a very special introductory offer to the first five customers.
£1000 plus VAT includes the whisky and accompanying works. This edition is sure to be popular so please contact us to pre order.
Multiplied Art Fair 2014
PUBLIC VIEWING Oct 17, 9am – 7pm
Oct 18, 11am – 7pm
Oct 19, 11am – 6pm
Oct 20, 9am – 5pm
Admission to Multiplied is free.
VISITING THE FAIR Situated in the heart of London, Multiplied is easily accessible from all the major galleries in Mayfair as well as Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park.
FAIR LOCATION Christie’s South Kensington
85 Old Brompton Road
London SW7 3LD
HOW TO GET HERE By tube: South Kensington
By bus: 74, 414, 14, 345, C1
