New Coca-Cola 2002

Curator: It strikes me immediately as both playful and ominous – bright colors, but the sheer scale of the logo looms large. Editor: Well, let’s contextualize that feeling. What we have here is Wang Guangyi's "New Coca-Cola," painted in 2002. It’s acrylic on canvas, a rather bold example of his artistic engagement with global brands. Curator: A very specific brand, embedded in the fabric of twentieth century… well, everything! The way the Coca-Cola logo merges with what looks like a rising sun – or is it setting? – suggests a kind of… corporate dawn or perhaps the sunset of a certain era. The sea gives it the aura of an advertisement for leisure or travel. The symbolism is quite loaded. Editor: Precisely. Wang Guangyi gained prominence for his "Political Pop" series, critiquing the influx of Western consumerism into post-Cultural Revolution China. Think of Coca-Cola as the ultimate symbol here—instantly recognizable across cultures. Curator: Yes, it’s not just about selling soda; it's about exporting a lifestyle, an ideology even. I notice also the radiant sun. It might evoke feelings of optimism with these saturated colours. And this "New Coca-Cola" takes on an ironic layer given his background. Is he celebrating globalization or warning against it? Editor: The question is deliberately left open. This work speaks volumes about the power dynamics inherent in global trade and cultural exchange. The radiant background is rendered artificially like an old advertising. Curator: So the image becomes less a straightforward endorsement and more a meditation on the psychological and cultural impact of pervasive branding. The colors certainly invite us to buy. Editor: Absolutely. The bright colors, those cartoonish waves… it's designed to be seductive. The artist acknowledges consumerism's allure while simultaneously prompting us to consider its implications on cultural identity and autonomy within a rapidly globalizing world. Wang masterfully uses recognizable symbolism to provoke a very contemporary dilemma. Curator: A dilemma that still resonates loudly today. I will certainly not see Coca-Cola advertising again the same.