The Finest Art On Water: Christian Jankowski collaborates with CRN and Riva For Installation At Frieze Art Fair of London 2011

CRN and Riva, two luxury yachting brands of the Ferretti Group, will play a central role in an installation by Berlin-based artist Christian Jankowski, at this year’s Frieze Art Fair 2011. Curated by Sarah McCrory, The Finest Art on Water will be part of Frieze Projects, a series of special commissions which offer viewpoints that will elicit a shift in the viewer’s perception as they move through the fair.

Jankowski has collaborated with yacht builders CRN, featuring the project of a 68 metre vessel, whose exteriors and interiors lines are designed by the designers of Officina Italiana Design, and will be produced by the shipyard in the contemporary artwork. The Aquariva Cento, a limited edition boat, also designed by Officina Italiana Design, that is available as a tender for CRN superyachts and embodies the modern Riva style and elegance, will be sculpturally displayed as part of the installation, simultaneously challenging an art audience and yacht lovers.

Jankowski aims to engage directly with the idea of sales and exchange and the value of luxury goods. The Finest Art on Water is not only a yacht but also an art work; an exclusive, ready-made art piece that implicates, involves and engages the spectator.

Visitors to the installation will play the part of prospective buyers, as they view the interior and listen to the description of the boat. Jankowski’s work encompasses film, video and performance in which, consciously or subconsciously, viewers become active participants.

“Frieze has become one of the most influential events in the art world and it is exciting that CRN and Riva will have a presence there to engage with people in this unique way. Our yachts combine cutting edge technology with stunning designs, premium materials and the finest craftsmanship. This project with Christian Jankowski allows us to work in an environment which transcends a yacht from an object to a piece of art,” comments Luca Boldrini, CRN Brand Manager.

CRN specializes in the construction of fully customised mega yachts in steel and aluminium from 44 to 85 metres and has recently launched a revolutionary range of custom pleasure ships ‘Dislopen’, combining the aesthetics of open boats with the comfort of displacement vessels.

The Aquariva Cento, designed by Officina Italiana Design, which will be displayed sculpturally at Frieze, is the ultimate in elegance and luxury and was commissioned as a special edition to celebrate the hundredth unit of the original Aquariva. The soft, elegant lines of the 33 foot Aquariva Cento exude tradition, whilst still managing to be highly innovative. The valuable, skilfully carpentered woods of the deck are mahogany with maple inlay and the innovative, electronically-controlled, two speed gearbox brings out all the passion and power of the two 380 horsepower Yanmar engines, resulting in an exceptional performance.

Founded in 1842 in Sarnico, Riva is the oldest shipyard in the world never to have interrupted production and is protected by the Italian Fine Arts Society. The original quality and artisan care have been maintained over the years, to which innovation, elegance, style and design have been added.

The history of CRN is a story full of successes, which have been accumulating right from the beginning. Set up by Sanzio Nicolini in 1963, the shipyard immediately established itself in a market which targeted a very selected clientele. This has been the guiding principle behind CRN right from the outset and has earned it a position among the top world builders of luxury mega yachts in association with important designers who helped establish the brand internationally.

Riva and CRN have a strong history of working together, dating back more than 40 years. Now the two brands have a collaboration to produce a new line of megayachts measuring more than 50 metres.

Editors Notes:

Frieze Art Fair: 13 – 16 October 2011
Frieze Art Fair takes place every October in Regent’s Park, London. The fair showcases new and established artists to an international audience.

Christian Jankowski
The work of Christian Jankowski is a performance, which engages often unsuspecting collaborators to innocently collude with him, making them 'co-authors' of the final result, who often (sometimes inadvertently) participate in the very conceptualisation of the work. The collaborative nature of Jankowski's practice is paramount, as each participant unwittingly contributes his or her own texture. With Jankowski, there is as much emphasis on the journey as the destination, and the risks and chances inherent in his collaborations ultimately give surprising shape to the final works. The product of a generation that grew up with the ubiquity of film and television, its inherently populist influence is evident throughout Jankowski's work. Christian Jankowski lives and works in Berlin and is represented by the Lisson Gallery London.