Giger’s Skeleton Bar
The Skeleton Bar in Gruyere is something of a Sedlec Ossuary in space, where the bones decorating the interior are not human, but something else. The bar was designed by H. R. Giger, who is most famous for his design work on the film Alien, which earned him an Oscar. His style tends to present human bodies and machines in a cold, co-dependent relationship, dubbed ‘biomechanical’. Originally an architect, Giger got into painting as a form of art therapy for his nightmares. His work can be seen on several music albums, including ELP’s Brain Salad Surgery and the insert to the Dead Kennedy’s Frankenchrist, which was involved in an obscenity lawsuit. There used to be a number of Giger bars in America, Japan, and Switzerland, but many have closed down, notably New York’s legendary club Limelight used to have a bar with fake embryos floating in pink-fluid filled jars. Interestingly, Giger was a personal friend of Timothy Leary, which may help explain the psychedelic elements of his art.
Skeleton Bar, Funtasticus.com
Sedlec Ossuary Gallery