youki hirakawa

Forever Fresh

Forever Fresh / 2022

Beer Bottle, Glass Plate, Resin, Size Variable

A ready-made beer bottle sits on a glass ledge attached to a wall at a height of 2.2 meters.The bottle's surface is adorned with water droplets, giving it the appearance of a freshly chilled beer bottle. Hirakawa utilizes resin for these droplets to convey a sense of everlasting freshness. This technique references the water droplets often seen in advertisement photographs and product packaging, such as those for Cola, Beer, Processed Food, and Cosmetics. These droplets are commonly used to depict the freshness of the products and maintain a sense of perpetual newness in the images. In the context of quarantine, where time seems to stand still, the artist uses these droplets as a response to the passing of time - a period where nothing changes, but time keeps moving forward. The artwork represents a symbolic gesture, a way to confront and defy time, even when it seems unconquerable.