Vodka Pool, 2009

Dan Mihaltianu - Berlin, Germany

Installation

As viewers gather around a reflecting pool of alcohol situated on the pristine floor of the atrium, they can ponder the volatile and symbolic qualities of 80-proof vodka. Liquor and liquidity bear more than passing associations to banks and money. Intoxicating, like the euphoria of riches; evaporating, like the vanishing of investments during economic downturns; alchemical, like the transformation of use value into exchange value. In black markets and other underground economies, the connections are even more literal. During wars and totalitarian regimes, such as Nicolae Ceausescu's dictatorship in Romania, alcohol serves as both an escape and a home-brewed currency for procuring essential goods and services.

Dan Mihaltianu works in photography, video, interactive installations and multimedia. A key aspect of his practice concerns research into liquids and their associations and functions. From the world's oceans to financial liquidity, from political transparency to liquor and food culture, Mihaltianu addresses the contribution of fluids to the most salient features of contemporary life. Mihaltianu has participated in major exhibitions across Europe, notably at the Venice Biennale, ZKM, and the Tate Modern.

Suitable for all ages