Whereas hundreds of individuals would possibly need to get their arms on a Birkin bag, the artist Giovanni Casas, who is called GEO, has created “The Huge Birk” for Artwork Palm Seaside.
The art-like sculpture is supposed to be harking back to Hermès‘ prized purse. The New York-based artistic has his personal company and first created a jumbo bag on the request of Buttonscarves, an Indonesian firm that was seeking to make a splash in New York Metropolis’s Occasions Sq.. That creation wound up in “Guinness E book of World Data.” It additionally was used for a vogue present.
Just a few years later, one among his staffers steered that they make one other bag, however a Birkin-inspired one, so the crew did simply that. They created a pink one in Could. After Denis Leon, whose gallery represents GEO, requested that he make one thing for Artwork Palm Seaside, the artist pitched a Huge Birk and as soon as authorized, they whipped up one in shiny yellow.
Now he’s displaying off a shiny yellow one on the artwork truthful that runs by way of Sunday. Describing the Birkin bag as “a world image of status, and timeless class,” the present’s director and producer Kassandra Voyagis stated it “presents an thrilling dialogue between artwork and affluence, capturing the spirit of a spot the place excessive vogue and excessive tradition intersect seamlessly.”
As for the authorized ramifications, GEO knew all concerning the artist Mason Rothschild’s authorized battle with Hermès over his “MetaBirkins” NFTs and Walmart’s “Wirkin” (an $80 various that’s now no extra. Walmart simply introduced they may now not promote the viral dupes, however Rebag objects will likely be launched to Walmart Market for secondhand baggage.) The digital MetaBirkins have been impressed by the luxurious home’s famed “Birkin” purse named for Jane Birkin. The Birkin was first launched in 1984 after the late actress had steered the necessity for such an oversize luxurious purse to an Hermès government on a global flight. Through the Hermès-Rothschild trial, Hermès stated it sells greater than $100 million in Birkin baggage every year, and had finished so for the previous decade. The 2023 ruling decided that the artist had infringed on the trademark rights of Hermès.
“The Huge Birk” outdoors of the Palm Seaside Conference Middle.
Photograph by Juan Badel/Courtesy
GEO stated, “We’re not replicating it precisely. I’m not saying it’s an actual Birkin. I recreate AI designs,” he stated, including that they may very well be from Paris, Italy or New York. “Ever for the reason that pandemic, I’ve been creating these large types — a Nike shoe, ‘the Birkin Bag’ — a public pay cellphone.”
The primary Huge Birk generated 10 million views on social media and calls from London and France inquiring about bringing it there. The artist, nonetheless, has not heard from Hermès. “I’m not making an attempt to take something away from Hermès or Birkin,” GEO stated.
To create a sculpture the dimensions of “The Huge Berk” is a monetary enterprise, which implies the promoting value may begin at $250,000, GEO stated. Whereas some have inquired about utilizing it as a public set up, the plan is to promote it, he stated.
Transporting “The Huge Birk,” a 24-foot-high construction on a flatbed trailer on a wet, windy day to the Palm Seaside County Conference Middle took some work — it needed to be damaged down and reassembled 3 times, resulting from a number of the decrease hanging energy strains en route. The bag was made in yellow to coordinate with Artwork Palm Seaside’s branding. “Proper now vogue and artwork and branding are so collectively,” GEO stated.
One in every of his newest assignments is to create a gargantuan 10-foot mosquito type for Johnson & Johnson’s new insect repellant product that will likely be unveiled subsequent month in Las Vegas. He has additionally collaborated with the New York Public Library and has been tapped for a brand new undertaking with the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork. “I’m a New Yorker. I got here right here from Colombia as an immigrant, after I was 13. I went to the Palladium and Limelight. Proper now I’m simply an artist. Clearly, I’ve my design company, however my primary factor is to create issues,” he stated.