A commemoration or parody? Frankly, we can’t decide.
The Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been the focus of various depictions before, be it on t-shirts, mugs, posters and seemingly any other type of paraphernalia. But none has been quite so emphatic as this.
Advocating his cult personality worldwide, Sound of Power, who reincarnate classic objects in to porcelain figures containing intricate speaker systems, have cast their attention on the Russian head – to become, their latest head.
Combining striking visual and audio qualities, Petro Wodkins’ design in collaboration with Sound of Power, masterfully combines the commercial features of porcelain figures to incorporate high-performance speakers.
Entwining the marble-like façade with a wooden amplifier-base, all of the ‘St. Vladimir’ speakers have been made in Sweden in a limited number of just 100 pieces- and are all set to be auctioned with a starting price of €1,100.
As Wodkins denotes himself, the concept behind the project is to ‘play the people who play the world’- which acknowledges Putin’s position of power, but instead of promoting his persona, Wodkins’ creation mischievously portrays him to be the purveyor of soundbites and empty rhetoric.
As with all art, the St. Vladimir speaker is open to your own interpretation. If you are persuaded to purchase one, be sure to check out the Sound of Power website.
