A unique collaboration between the premium vodka brand, Grey Goose and artist, Kehinde Wiley will culminate in a series of events during the Miami art fair next month. The acclaimed artist will be displaying portraits in his “Modern Kings of Culture” series, featuring director, Spike Lee, rapper, Swizz Beatz and basketball star, Carmelo Anthony, which will then be auctioned off for charity in a collaboration with Sotheby's. On December 1, the portraits will be featured at a public exhibit at The Redbury Hotel, where Miami art fair-goers can also view and bid on the works.
On December 2, an intimate preview will then take place at a private home where members of the auction team will be accepting pre-sale bids from potential buyers, celebrities and art-world regulars. Finally, renowned Sotheby’s auctioneer Gabriela Palmieri will host the exclusive live poolside auction event on December 4 at the SLS Hotel. Those wishing to bid online can do so via the Paddle 8 online auction site.
Renowned Sotheby’s auctioneer Gabriela Palmieri will host the exclusive live poolside auction event on December 4 at the SLS Hotel in Miami
The auction is being engineered by Wiley and Grey Goose in order to promote the new Grey Goose Le Melon flavoured vodka, which was launched earlier in the year. The new premium vodka is flavoured by the Cavaillon melon from Provence, France, a melon said to have been consumed by French nobility for centuries. To reflect the nobel legacy of the fruit (which was apparently once valued as highly as gold), Grey Goose commissioned Wiley to create a series of portraits to honour the “Modern Kings” of 21st century America.
Kehinde Wiley
The portraits themselves are a subtly tongue-in-cheek juxtaposition of modern and royal iconography, and feature iconic men whose passion for their crafts rival that of Grey Goose creator, Francois Thibault, whose “Passion for crafting extraordinary spirits gave rise to the world’s first super premium vodka.”Speaking about the thought processes behind the project, Wiley said he was “Interested in rethinking the way that kings are being made.” He believes that the project celebrates both Grey Goose Le Melon, which “Plays to the strengths of history,” and men who are “Flying beyond by understanding that the world in front of you doesn’t have to be the only one,” neatly tapping into the brand's “Fly Beyond” brand positioning.
Wiley said he was “Interested in rethinking the way that kings are being made.”
Lyle Tick, VP managing director of Grey Goose, said that Wiley's “Extraordinary talent for combining modern culture with the style of historical portraits is truly unique.” He believes that, much like their “Maître de Chai,” (cellar master) Thibault, “Kehinde has an exceptional ability to create something distinctive and wildly relevant, while going against the grain and challenging what is both expected and accepted by the world around him.” He hopes that the “Call to action” to bid on these pieces “Will resonate strongly with the art community.”
Gabriela Palmieri
As well as raising the profile of Grey Goose Le Melon and Wiley himself, the project aims to raise a significant amount for the “Kings” charities, which include The Spike Lee/NYU Graduate Film Production Fund, The Carmelo Anthony Foundation and the Bronx Charter School For The Arts. The Brooklyn Museum in New York will also be a beneficiary, with Grey Goose supporting a new exhibition by Wiley, dubbed “A New Republic,” at the Brooklyn Museum next year. Wiley currently has paintings on display in over forty museums worldwide, and his work (and the man behind it) was recently the subject of the documentary, An Economy of Grace.
