For the third consecutive year, Italian spirit brand and
inveterate patron of the arts Campari brought its House of Campari pop-up
gallery to Los Angeles, maintaining
its tradition of showcasing the city’s emerging visual artists. Skyy Spirits
events manager Elizabeth Colton turned to Scenic’s Simon Watson and Craig
Hensala to curate the gallery’s “Distinctive Messengers” exhibition, which took
over an empty storefront in West Hollywood from May 18
to June 10. Throughout this period, Campari hosted a series of exclusive
private events that incorporated visual references to the Campari brand in
addition to the displayed works of art.A narrow lounge area within the venue stood out from the
exhibition rooms with a nightclublike edge, created by dim lighting and bright
red walls—a nod to Campari’s signature color—and featured framed photographs
from the recent Hotel Campari campaign shot by Mario
Testino. A bar in a separate room was backed by an imposing Campari-branded
poster featuring a semi-nude woman holding a Campari cocktail and bottle. At
the exhibition’s opening night, less subtle incarnations of the brand came in
the form of female tray passers (offering Campari cocktails, of course) who
were sporting hats inspired by director and photographer Matthew Rolston’s sensual
Campari Passion Posters.
In keeping with Rolston’s pin-up-girl-like poster subjects,
the House of Campari’s opening- and closing-night events presented special
performances by Ivan Kane’s Forty Deuce trio and their Las Vegas headlining
burlesque dancer Dakota Ferreiro. In a move that encouraged guests to continue
their evening past the 10 p.m.
closing of the doors on opening night, staff handed out complementary passes to
the nightclub Forty Deuce, as well as bottles of Campari.
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Photo: Patrick McMullan
Photo: Patrick McMullan