Swedish Punk Band Viagra Boys Satirizes the Art World with Absurdist Humor
# Viagra Boys’ “Man Made of Meat” Video: A Satirical Take on the Art World
The Swedish punk band **Viagra Boys** is no stranger to satirical, absurdist storytelling in their music and visuals. Their latest video for the single **“Man Made of Meat”** continues this tradition, this time by skewering the contemporary art world with biting humor.
### **A Punk In A Museum**
Directed by **Daniel Björkman**, the video introduces lead singer **Sebastian Murphy** as a heavily tattooed, rough-around-the-edges character wandering through a sleek modern art gallery. He stares at a surreal, organic painting, takes a swig from a bottle of wine, and tosses it aside, shattering it on the floor. Instead of being ejected from the space, he is mistaken for an artistic visionary and quickly recruited by a wealthy mentor, played by **Swedish artist Ernst Billgren**.
This sets off a hilarious **rise-to-fame storyline**, where Murphy is groomed into the **next big thing in the art world**—but at a cost.
### **Satirizing Art Movements and Fame**
As Murphy’s career skyrockets, the video cleverly parodies major artistic movements and clichés. He places a wine bottle on a **Duchampian bottle rack**, referencing readymade art. He uses a **spray gun to paint a massive canvas**, mocking **zombie formalism**, and even **flies through the air dripping paint** in a nod to **action painting**—a moment that recalls **Julianne Moore’s character in The Big Lebowski (1998)** painting mid-air in her studio.
Björkman, however, insists that the latter reference was unintentional, remarking,
> *“Everything has been done in art. When you put your story into this vast world, people will find references you never even thought of.”*
The elaborate sets for these scenes were filmed at **Stockholm’s Konstnärshuset** and the **17th-century Bogesund Castle**, adding authentic grandeur to the chaotic satire.
### **Art Meets Music: Leo Park’s Contribution**
Real artworks appear throughout the video, including paintings by **Swedish contemporary artist Leo Park**. Murphy is first seen gazing at Park’s piece, **“Swedish Bather” (2025)**—a moment that sets the film’s tone. Park also created the **cover art for the band’s upcoming album**, portraying Murphy in a surreal, grotesque style.
Rather than worrying about how his work was used in the video’s comedic critique, Park embraced the collaboration, saying:
> *“You just have to let go of control. You collide with another artist, and something unexpected emerges.”*
### **The Inevitable Burnout of Stardom**
As Murphy enjoys fleeting art-world stardom—complete with scandals and record-breaking auctions—a shift occurs. Overwhelmed, he starts seeing **hallucinations of swirling images** as the song’s lyrics emphasize his existential dread:
> *“I hate almost everything that I see, and I just wanna disappear.”*
In the final moment, Murphy once again finds himself in front of the same painting. This time, instead of smashing a bottle, he **quietly walks away**—a profound yet ambiguous ending.
> *“That life isn’t for him, but it’s unclear if he’ll still make art or leave it all behind,”* Park speculated.
### **Punk Satire Meets Artistic Commentary**
With “Man Made of Meat,” **Viagra Boys** cleverly lampoon the highbrow, often ridiculous nature of the contemporary art world. The video is part **Brechtian absurdity**, part **cultural critique**, and entirely in tune with the **band’s humor and anti-establishment ethos**.
For fans of punk rock, satire, and art-world hijinks, this video is a **must-watch**—a chaotic yet thought-provoking commentary on the fleeting nature of fame, artistic authenticity, and the power of perception.