pop-me-up (2009)

POP-ME-UP was a special collaborative and interactive project created for 'This Is Why We Meet' - a two-week art project by South London curators Pat & Trevor, in association with advertising agency Wieden + Kennedy London, University of The Arts London, and Nokia. Four new graduates were chosen from Camberwell College of Arts, including Philip Li, Carl Guilhon, Chris King, and Joel Stephens, to create a new and inventive piece of artwork for Wieden +Kennedy's windows in London.

The result was 'POP-ME-UP', a unique part-performance, part-entrepreneurial pop-up advertising agency. The artists were based in the W+K’s busy windows, which were located directly in the centre of the financial district and the hub of local creatives. Utilising their business acumen, the four businessmen asked anybody and everybody to advertise anything in a 15cm x 15cm space within their windows for £1/day! Many flocked to the windows including acclaimed British artists Gilbert and George, who contributed an advert for their own art exhibition.

“You put the me into POP-ME-UP”

With the central theme of interactivity dominating the project - this performative installation questioned commerce and creativity, performance and reality, irony and homage - whilst creating a remarkable snapshot of an active creative audience. POP-ME-UP was not only an ingenious creative endeavour, but it has since set a business trend, influencing many new pop-up offices to use empty windows for their advertising ventures.