Tobias Rehberger, artist who's camouflaged a Hong Kong shop
Not only has the German used military 'dazzle camouflage' for leather-goods brand MCM's shop, he's also used it in the product designs. And for good measure the display includes teapots, a pig, a skull and a severed arm. 'It's ... about what a shape is, what a product is,' he explains to Kate Whitehead
Don't try to put Tobias Rehberger into a box. The German artist's work isn't the sort that fits in a frame and he'd much rather it was out in the world, with people rubbing up against and interacting with it, than being gawped at in a museum. He does his own thing - and has a good time while he's at it.
Sitting in MCM's flagship store, in Central's Entertainment Building, the 49-year-old seems to be on his best behaviour, his PR minder by his side. His beard is freshly trimmed and, in a crisp white shirt, jeans and trainers, he's rocking the urban-cool look. But every now and then there's a flash of the raucous, hard-drinking side he's known for.
In Hong Kong for a week for the launch of a collection he designed for the German luxury leather goods brand, as well as Art Basel, he insists he hasn't got jetlag, he never gets it. His secret?
"Get drunk on the first day," he says.
The PR scowls, but Rehberger doesn't seem to notice.
The MCM collaboration began with the bags and it was a 20-year-old assistant - the youngest in his full-time team of 12 - who persuaded him to take on the job. As he explains how it came about you get the sense that Rehberger is porous, open to ideas and giving things a shot, especially if there's a good chance he or his team might get a kick out of it.