Art, meet vodka

Botticelli had the Medici. Monet had luxury magnate Hoschede. But who sponsors the great artists these days? Why, the liquor companies who provide them with their favorite sources of inspiration. Duh.

Twenty works from Absolut Vodka’s eclectic and renowned permanent collection, including pieces by Andy Warhol, Jan Saudek and Louis Bourgeois, have left Sweden for Asia for the first and last time.

Having stopped by New Delhi, Dubai, Mumbai and Sydney on the way to Seoul, the trendy tree-lined Garosugil is the collection’s current temporary residence.

Gallery Yeh, which has been one most high-brow galleries in Seoul for the past 30 years, decided that it would take a break from its traditional history to usher pop art in with a bang. Colorful, evocative pieces by contemporary Western masters now line the formerly conservative walls.

The exhibition also features quirky, innovative works by Seoul artists Byun Dae Yong, DJ Zuui and Sakgayo.

Byun’s pop art sculptures envelope the entire first floor. DJ Zuui’s beautiful speaker system made of Absolut bottles take up a corner on the second floor, while Sakgayo’s fairy-colored video installation flickers on the wall adjacent.

The Absolut collection will remain in Seoul until April 25th, when it will then head to China, settling in Beijing in May and Shanghai in July. The Chinese exhibitions will feature works by the young and provocative artists Chen Man and Gao Yu.

The Absolut Art Collection Tour in Seoul. Gallery Yeh. 532-9 Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu. Open weekdays 11 a.m.–7 p.m., weekends 11 a.m.–4 p.m.