Insertions into Ideological Circuits: Coca-Cola Project

Cildo Meireles’s ongoing Coca-Cola Project, part of his larger Insertions into Ideological Circuits series, interrogates how power—socioeconomic and political—is distributed through networks of trade and consumerism. Meireles noted his intention on each bottle: “To register informations and critical opinions on bottles and return them to circulation.” Each bottle also carries a distinct political provocation. These three read, “Yankees go home!,” “Jesse Helms No!,” and “Which is the place of a work of art?” With this project, Meireles took advantage of the global reach of American consumer culture by appropriating and personalizing one of its most popular exports.