Christiania Vodka

From WikiCover

With a 500-year Norwegian heritage dating back to Norway's Bohemian King Christian IV (1577-1648), Christiania Vodka has a brilliant history that spans many centuries. King Christian conquered Norway in 1596 and brought with him the fruits of the Renaissance -- art, culture, music, food, wine -- to the Norwegian people. He also brought an appreciation for a new spirit that was becoming all the rage among the Northern European aristocrats . . . vodka.

On August 16, 2007, Christiania extended its submission deadline to August 22 for ChristiNaked, the company's public art challenge to identify "The New Nude" -- a search for the most compelling modern vision of the human form. The online contest has taken in over 300 entries from artists around the globe, ranging from Jakarta and Denmark to Japan and over 30 states in the U.S.

Inspired by Richard Avedon's 1981 photo of Nastassja Kinski and the snake, an image that crystallized the excesses of a decade, Christiania is seeking a wholly modern interpretation of the nude for 2007. The winning work will become the subject of a major billboard at Grand and West Broadway, a prime intersection in the popular SoHo neighborhood of New York City. Overseen and critiqued by a panel of art-world luminaries and collectors, including art-world consultant and innovative designer Joyce and John Varvatos; Stephen Frailey, Chair of the School of Visual Arts Photography Department; Kate Sennert, Editor-In-Chief of the cutting-edge art publication Tokion Magazine; longtime emerging art patron and benefactor Alex Vik; and Ramis Barquet of the Sebastian + Barquet Gallery in New York.

Christiania's promotion of emerging artists in the United States and abroad will further develop, when it launches the Christiania Arts Foundation in 2008. By offering bright young talent a variety of platforms to showcase their work, the brand endeavors to act as a catalyst for the proliferation of fine art in commercial projects.

ChristiNaked website: http://www.christinaked.com/

Christiania Vodka website: http://www.christianiavodka.com/