Held at the Cutaway venue in Barangaroo, The Other Art Fair was one of Sydney’s largest arts events since reopening.
The sweeping subterranean space played host to 109 emerging and unrepresented artists from December 2 to December 5, with Bombay Sapphire operating a ‘Stir Creativity’ pop-up cocktail bar at the event.
The gin brand partnered with four leading Sydney cocktail bars to produce bespoke drinks for The Other Art Fair: Apollonia, Hotel Palisade, Barangaroo House and Cash Only Diner.
Each cocktail was designed to highlight a different botanical aspect of Bombay Sapphire, alongside the individual creativity and flair of the partner bars. The four drinks represented the broad flavour profiles found in the base gin: Spice, Berry, Floral or Citrus.
The cocktails were presented inside themed booths, with the botanicals and fruits used on show, to create a ‘sensory experience for visitors’. Drinkers were also encouraged to take a short digital cocktail quiz via a QR, which would pair their personal preferences to a drink on offer.
Alongside illustrating the different botanicals at the heart of Bombay Sapphire, and demonstrating the creative abilities of bartenders at collaborating venues, the brand also stated: “the purpose of this promotion was to help support partner bars through these rough COVID times.”
The activation formed part of Bombay Sapphire’s ‘Stir Creativity’ marketing campaign, which has been running since 2018. According to the brand, the promotion is “a call to arms for everyone to engage with their creativity and unlock their creative potential.”
The Other Art Fair is an internationally touring event, supporting by Saatchi Art, which aims to platform emerging artists. Created as an accessible art fair, prices for original artwork began at $100, and no-interest financing was available from the Art Money company. DJs performed at the Fair, while life drawing classes and street food were also on offer.
The Cutaway, which opened in 2015, offerings a gigantic, open air space, cut directly into the rock of Sydney’s Barangaroo Reserve. Large scale, immersive artworks from design studio Atelier Sisu and art collective ENESS used the space to full effect.
The Other Art Fair returns to Australian shores in May 2022, when it opens in Melbourne’s Meat Market venue.
