The Lower East Side is in the midst of a boom of new boutiques, cafés, and condo developments, and on Wednesday, yet another storefront opened its doors in the neighborhood, courtesy of Absolut Vodka.
Through April 25, the space known as 186 Orchard (the venue's address) will house "Absolut Quartet," an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine, created as part of the spirit maker's "Absolut Visionaries" campaign, which launched yesterday. To celebrate the marketing program and the installation—the latter of which is open to the public—Absolut hosted a cocktail reception at the downtown gallery-like space on Wednesday night.Guests including Zach Galifianakis and Eddie Izzard (two of Absolut's "visionaries," who will contribute their ideas of what an "Absolut World" would look like) sipped specialty Absolut cocktails and sampled appetizers from Chef & Company in the sparely designed space. The venue served to highlight the real star of the night, the custom-made, somewhat otherworldly music-making machine designed by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman.
"Absolut Quartet is inspired by the question, 'In an Absolut world, what if machines could be creative?'" said Absolut Spirits Company public relations manager Sarah E. Bessette, who described the project and the related campaign as embodying the brand's attributes: "bold," "stylish," "engaging," and "creative."
Willie Mack, founder and creative director of Mack Industries (the firm hired to produce the installation), named finding the right space for the exhibit as one of the more challenging aspects of the project. "We spent three months searching about 200 spaces," he said.
Requirements of the venue included a width of at least 22 feet (the width of "Quartet"), the availability of a four-month lease (to accommodate renovation, installation, and the viewing period), a location on the radar of the Absolut target audience, and the ability to accommodate a high-speed Internet connection. (A live feed of "Absolut Quartet" is broadcast at Absolut.com, where visitors can enter a melody to be executed by the instrument, and then watch it happen.) Mack's solution to this last issue was to install a microwave tower on the roof of the building, which beams a signal to a receiver on the Empire State Building.
"Absolut Quartet" will run through April 25 at 186 Orchard; hours are 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Through April 25, the space known as 186 Orchard (the venue's address) will house "Absolut Quartet," an automated multi-instrumental orchestral machine, created as part of the spirit maker's "Absolut Visionaries" campaign, which launched yesterday. To celebrate the marketing program and the installation—the latter of which is open to the public—Absolut hosted a cocktail reception at the downtown gallery-like space on Wednesday night.Guests including Zach Galifianakis and Eddie Izzard (two of Absolut's "visionaries," who will contribute their ideas of what an "Absolut World" would look like) sipped specialty Absolut cocktails and sampled appetizers from Chef & Company in the sparely designed space. The venue served to highlight the real star of the night, the custom-made, somewhat otherworldly music-making machine designed by Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman.
"Absolut Quartet is inspired by the question, 'In an Absolut world, what if machines could be creative?'" said Absolut Spirits Company public relations manager Sarah E. Bessette, who described the project and the related campaign as embodying the brand's attributes: "bold," "stylish," "engaging," and "creative."
Willie Mack, founder and creative director of Mack Industries (the firm hired to produce the installation), named finding the right space for the exhibit as one of the more challenging aspects of the project. "We spent three months searching about 200 spaces," he said.
Requirements of the venue included a width of at least 22 feet (the width of "Quartet"), the availability of a four-month lease (to accommodate renovation, installation, and the viewing period), a location on the radar of the Absolut target audience, and the ability to accommodate a high-speed Internet connection. (A live feed of "Absolut Quartet" is broadcast at Absolut.com, where visitors can enter a melody to be executed by the instrument, and then watch it happen.) Mack's solution to this last issue was to install a microwave tower on the roof of the building, which beams a signal to a receiver on the Empire State Building.
"Absolut Quartet" will run through April 25 at 186 Orchard; hours are 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Absolut's \"Absolut Quartet\"
Photo: Courtesy of Absolut Vodka
Creators Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman employed 4,000 custom parts to create "Absolut Quartet."
Photo: Courtesy of Absolut Vodka
Guests could enter their own melody to be played by the instrument at Absolut.com.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
186 Orchard houses the installation.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
Components of the instrument include 42 throwing machines, wine glasses, drums, and marimba keys.
Photo: Courtesy of Absolut Vodka
Specialty cocktails included the Absolut Pearfect World, the Absolut 20/20, and the Absolut Citron Vision.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
Offerings from Chef & Company included Kobe beef, crab cakes, and spring rolls.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
DJ Justine D.'s selections mixed with the continual sounds of the Quartet.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash
