night court: absolut trophy art bar installation by ry rocklen

night court: absolut art bar installation by ry rocklen at art basel miami beach
image © designboom

‘night court’, the art bar installation developed by los angeles-based artist ry rocklen in collaboration with absolut for art basel miami beach 2013 incorporates thousands of trophy parts to depict and construct an entire environment reflecting on the idea of success. a collection of glorious stools, chairs, benches, ping pong table, stage and bar itself flaunts with gold-painted paraphernalia, holographic columns, faux-marble surfaces and decorative gold studs. the feng shui of the space, as rocklen explains, ‘is imposed by a full-scale basketball court, marked out directly on the floor’.

the intervention features the adapted modell of rocklen’s ‘trophy modern’ series; a chair entitled ‘american diner’ – the day-to-day workhorse of the collection, wrapped in red, white and blue – and ‘world couch’, padded with bespoke gold and silver vinyl cushions that incorporates a selection of metallic globes and miniature golden eagle motifs. also taking part with the installation is the ’emerald chair’, a similarly built piece, designed exclusively for one person, accented with golden stars and vibrant pink columns, which is completed by the addition of ‘cups of coffee table’, a coffee table arrayed with gold chalices.

ry rocklen talks about night court: absolut trophy art bar installation
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portait of artist ry rocklen with his trophy furniture installation in miami
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ping pong tables and chess sets give guests a chance to square off one-on-one during the event
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even a referee was present during the event
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seating topped with vinyl cushions feature a selection of metallic globes and miniature golden eagle motifs
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horsehoe bar
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the bartenders showing some team spirit
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night court – absolut art bar by ry rocklen at art basel miami 2013
video courtesy absolut

located at one side of the court sits a horseshoe bar, where beneath the padded seats, large gold basketballs are incorporated into the barstools. throughout the intervention, benches and bleachers provide modular seating for guests.