Non-Profit Beer? Cerveza as Art Project
Meet Cerveza Tupac, a delectable home-brewed beer crafted by the artist and arts professional Giuseppe de Bernardi. Hailing from Lima, Peru, de Bernardi has made his way to Southern California for a residency at 18th Street Arts Center in Santa Monica in the month of April. He heads a non-profit artist residency program called Tupac Cultural Association, which has supported contemporary artists in Peru since 2001. This dynamic arts center offers studio space, has an international visiting artist residency program, and hosts multi-disciplinary art events throughout the year.
In a country where there is almost no opportunity to receive grants or state funding for contemporary art, de Bernardi developed the beer as a way to generate financial support for the artists at Tupac. Revenue from the beer sales goes directly to the center’s numerous programs. But Cerveza Tupac is not only a product; it is also considered an on-going artwork that explores the idea of generating community. In contemporary art, this kind of concept falls under the genres of Relational Aesthetics and Social Practice.
