Brick of Coke is part of the Experience the Experience project by Monochrom (from the site: monochrom is an art-technology-philosophy group of basket weaving enthusiasts and theory do-it-yourselfers having its seat in Vienna and Zeta Draconis). It consisted of creating a brick of Coke (yes, the drink) and then, well, experiencing it.
It is/was a performance/installation/conference/weird thing happening in an artsy context. You can see it all step by step here. Of course, it is social criticism. Of course, it's moralizing and trying to be subtle while you're at it. And come on, give me a break. But then again - they did end up with a brick. And a brick is a serious thing.
Those people at Monochrom are kind of crazy. They know their concepts, but they just seem to like to go out of control - and then provide a pretty, entirely controllable certificate to prove it. While at the same time inserting themselves back into the formal confines of the art world.
Nice touch. A little sticky, and smells of burnt candy, but hey, nothing we can't handle.
Then, of course, comes the question Sean Bonner asked: "what do you do with a 3 and a half pound brick of coke after you are done showing it off?" Try to stick a miniature shark in it and sell it to a rich man?
