BOMBAY SAPPHIRE® Opens Supermarket at the Design Museum, an Art Installation to Show That Creativity Is Essential

This Wednesday 21st April, Supermarket, an installation by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and the Design Museum, will arrive at the museum’s Kensington High street home, stocking its shelves with essential items packaged in artworks created by a line-up of emerging artists. This installation will allow the museum to welcome much-missed visitors through its doors once again and promote the vital message that ‘Creativity is Essential’.

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE believes that creativity is an essential part of being human, making us feel fulfilled and happy. But during the pandemic our access to art institutions and other vital sources of creative inspiration has been severely restricted. Now, as the UK slowly begins to emerge from lockdown, Supermarket at the Design Museum will allow people to nourish their creativity and purchase limited edition works of art – all whilst doing their weekly shop. What’s more, they’ll be supporting the Design Museum which has suffered a 92% drop in its usual income streams while they do so.

Supermarket at the Design Museum is part of a long-standing mission by BOMBAY SAPPHIRE to inspire creativity in all. It will be open from the 21 – 25 April, selling essential items designed by a collective of 10 emerging artists comprising of Amy Worrall, Charlotte Edey, Holly Warburton, Isadora Lima, Jess Warby, Joey Yu, Katherine Plumb, Kentaro Okawara, and Michaela Yearwood-Dan. The project is spearheaded by artist and designer Camille Walala who has brought her inimitable visual style to the store itself – bringing art and shopping together in a riot of bold patterns and bright colours.

The essential items available to buy from Supermarket include tins of kidney beans, tea, coffee, loo roll, bread, pasta sauce, porridge oats, washing up liquid and rice, each one designed by a different artist. In addition, special limited-edition BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and tonic bottles have been created by artist and animation director Ruff Mercy.

The product packaging provided a blank canvas for each artist’s work, allowing them to bring their own distinctive style to the project, with ‘BOMBAY SAPPHIRE blue’ providing the common thread. The end result is a range of vibrant, collectable items that will not only be a stunning addition to any kitchen shelf, but support emerging artists and a cultural institution in what has been a difficult year for many. These mini design classics will be available to buy at regular supermarket prices meaning everyone can own their own work of art without breaking the bank, making creativity accessible to all. Shoppers are advised to be quick – these items have been produced in limited quantities and are predicted to sell out fast!

The full range is available to buy in store at Supermarket as well as online via designmuseumshop.com from 21 April until products sell out. All proceeds from sales will go to the Design Museum’s new Emerging Designer Access Fund – a new ‘pay it forward’ scheme that gives up and coming artists and designers free access to Design Museum exhibitions, talks and events, supported by Bombay Sapphire.

Camille Walala comments “It’s been a joy to work with BOMBAY SAPPHIRE and The Design Museum on this project. The past year has been really challenging for artists who haven’t been able to show work or collaborate as normal. Supermarket is a great way to not only support the Design Museum, but also shine a spotlight on the ten brilliant young artists who through this project have a new platform for their work.”

Natasha Curtin, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE Global Vice President, comments “Creativity has been at the heart of our brand for over 30 years. We truly believe that creativity is essential, but for much of this past year, we haven’t been able to visit our much-loved art galleries and cultural institutions. That’s why we’re thrilled to be launching this project in support of The Design Museum, creating the world’s first artist designed supermarket and demonstrating the vital role that creativity plays in our lives. We hope that this project will provide a blue-print for other creative institutions helping them to welcome back visitors by establishing their own essential shop come art installation.”

Tim Marlow, Director and Chief Executive, the Design Museum comments:

“Our high streets, museums and galleries have been hit hard by the pandemic; this is an opportunity to get people back to enjoying our cultural institutions safely and creatively. This installation is an opportunity to rethink about what we buy, who profits and what we consider to be essential. We can’t wait to welcome visitors back to our museum."

Lord Mendoza, Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal comments:

“'I am thrilled to support this innovative partnership between Bombay Sapphire and the Design Museum, to promote up and coming artists and designers in their essential shop. As the UK Commissioner for Cultural Recovery, I understand the hard year our cultural sector has been through. Any opportunity to celebrate and champion this fantastic talent is hugely welcome. I would like to thank Bombay Sapphire for their support in this project, and encourage other brands to get behind the recovery of the UK cultural sector.”

Supermarket at the Design Museum: Store Items

· Fruit & vegetable stickers by Isadora Lima

· Bread bag by Charlotte Edey

· Rice box by Joey Yu

· Pasta box by Holly Warbuton

· Kidney beans tin by Kentaro Okwara

· Passata jar by Joey Yu

· Porridge oat jar by Amy Worrall

· Tea bag tin by Katherine Plumb

· Coffee jar by Holly Warbuton

· Toilet roll by Michaela Yearwood-Dan

· Face mask by Kentaro Okawara

· Washing up liquid by Jess Warby

· Tote bag by Camillie Walala

· BOMBAY SAPPHIRE by Ruff Mercy

· Tonic by Ruff Mercy

For press enquiries please contact bombaysapphireUK@ogilvy.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About BOMBAY SAPPHIRE

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is the world's number one premium gin by value and volume (IWSR). Based on a 1761 recipe, BOMBAY SAPPHIRE gin is created by perfectly balancing a unique combination of 10 hand-selected exotic botanicals from around the world. The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE distillery at Laverstoke Mill has won a BREEAM award for sustainability and is the home of the unique Vapour Infusion process, where the natural flavours of the botanicals are skilfully captured, resulting in the fresh and vibrant taste with which BOMBAY SAPPHIRE is synonymous. 

BOMBAY SAPPHIRE has recently been awarded the prestigious Double Gold and Gold medal at the 17th San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC).

The BOMBAY SAPPHIRE brand is part of the portfolio of Bacardi Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda. Bacardi Limited refers to the Bacardi group of companies, including Bacardi International Limited.

About the Design Museum:

The Design Museum is the world’s leading museum devoted to contemporary architecture and design. Its work encompasses all elements of design, including fashion, product and graphic design. Since it opened its doors in 1989 the museum has displayed everything from an AK-47 to high heels designed by Christian Louboutin. It has staged over 100 exhibitions, welcomed over seven million visitors and showcased the work of some of the world’s most celebrated designers and architects including Paul Smith, Zaha Hadid, Jonathan Ive, Frank Gehry, Eileen Gray and Dieter Rams. On 14 November 2016, The Design Museum relocated to Kensington, west

London. Leading architect John Pawson has converted the interior of a 1960s modernist building to create a new home for the Design Museum giving it three times more space in which to show a wider range of exhibitions and significantly extend its learning programme.

In October 2020, the Design Museum was awarded £2,968,634 by Arts Council England from the Culture Recovery Fund announced by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In July 2020, the Design Museum was awarded nearly £1 million National Lottery funding through the Arts Council’s Emergency Response Fund.

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@designmuseum