Selfridges Opens a Tiny Bar as Part of Its New Art Initiative
PUCKER UP: Good things come in small packages — at least for Selfridges’ latest installation. The department store is opening the smallest bar in Britain, the Lip Bar, which will launch — appropriately — on Valentine’s Day and run until March 3. Seating a maximum of six people, the bar, which measures 6.6 feet by 11 feet, will serve Asahi beer and sake.
The bar is part of Selfridges’ new art initiative, State of the Arts, which will showcase artwork including installations, in-store displays and limited-edition pieces across its London, Birmingham and Manchester stores.
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Designed by the Japanese artist and photographer Daido Moriyama, the Lip Bar is a nod to the small bars found in Tokyo’s Golden Gai quarter in Shinjuku.
The Selfridges one is a replica of one of Moriyama’s favorite bars, Bar Kuro, and an homage to one of his most famous works of art, a close-up shot of a pair of lips. The photo will cover every inch of the bar, and will be printed in red and black.
Customers will need to book a seat online at the price of 10 pounds, which includes two beers or a cup of sake for a one-hour time slot.
There will be merch available, too, such as hoodies and T-shirts featuring Daido’s Lips alongside limited-edition prints of the Lip series at a heftier price of 60,000 pounds. The installation will also be put up for sale after it closes and the entire bar can be purchased for 80,000 pounds.
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