Name/Title
Open 24 HoursEntry/Object ID
2020.07Description
Free-standing white panels with pattern holding clear and green glass bottles.Artwork Details
Medium
MDF and glass bottlesContext
On her daily walks with her dog through Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood, Edra Soto collects the discarded liquor bottles that she comes across in vacant lots. These cognac bottles sparked an archeological exploration into the residents’ area, their daily rituals, the origin stories of liquors, and identity.
Cognac, much like champagne, is only named such if produced in particular regions of France. Originally introduced to Black soldiers abroad during the world wars, this elegant liqueur was rebranded, in the 1980s and 90s, to target urban Black men and saw its resurgence in popularity as it became associated with luxury in rap videos and advertising campaigns. In Open 24 Hours, Soto imbues her work with these tensions between class, socioeconomic status, luxury, and desire by placing stripped cognac bottles into screens of her design, which are emblematic of colonial architectural elements from porches in her native Puerto Rico.Acquisition
Accession
2020.07Source or Donor
Soto, EdraAcquisition Method
PurchaseCredit Line
Courtesy of the artistLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
SculptureNomenclature Class
ArtNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsLOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
Classes (Social), Architectural detailsDimensions
Dimension Description
Dimensions are for 1 panel. There are three panels each the same.Height
96 inWidth
32 in