As a lifelong art enthusiast with a penchant for automobiles, I must say that this year’s Frieze Seoul has left me absolutely spellbound! The unveiling of Julie Mehretu’s BMW Art Car at last was nothing short of breathtaking. Her fusion of abstract landscapes and the dynamic world of motorsport is a testament to her extraordinary talent and daring imagination.
In a grand unveiling, Julie Mehretu’s 20th Art Car design for BMW was introduced at Frieze Seoul 2024 in Asia. This masterpiece showcases the high-performance BMW M Hybrid V8 racecar, which has been reimagined through Mehretu’s artistic perspective. After making its initial appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, BMW is now bringing this Hypercar to the Asian market.
A New York artist collaborated closely with an automotive company to design a distinctive car, employing Mehretu’s trademark large-scale, multi-layered abstract landscapes. According to Mehretu, the BMW Art Car project emphasizes innovation, creativity, and boundary-pushing ideas. She described her creation as “a performative painting.” In an interview, she explained that the collaboration with motorsport and engineering teams was integral, and the artwork is only complete once the race is done. The themes of space, movement, and energy greatly influenced Mehretu’s performance-based painting. By placing her work on a BMW Art Car, Mehretu transformed a two-dimensional image into a three-dimensional one, making color and form crucial elements for experiencing the piece as it moves.
Alongside Mehretu’s Asian debut of the BMW Art Car, the automobile company showcased the global unveiling of miniature versions of the BMW i7, creatively designed by artists Heemin Chung and Alvaro Barrington.
The German automaker showcased a set of small BMW i7 cars, crafted by Korean artist Heemin Chung and British artist Alvaro Barrington. These artists interacted with Hans Ulrich Obrist, a curator and part of the BMW Art Car Jury, discussing the artistic reasoning behind their designs during Frieze Seoul events. Despite having distinct methods, they managed to captivate audiences worldwide. Each artist designed seven miniatures, and the money from their sales will go to charities chosen by them individually.
For Heemin Chung, she takes inspiration from the natural surroundings. Her work challenges the role of technology in society and how it has shaped contemporary approaches to art. At Frieze Seoul, she spoke about the mobility of the i7 and how it imitated nature. She was inspired by the curvature of the i7, and aimed to make the body of the car appear to be like a living organism. Taking form and movements from insects, bird and bats, her miniature cars were also inspired by the silhouettes of ornithopters. As for Alvaro Barrington, the London-based artist saw the cars as way to bridge his personal experiences with the cultural symbol of the car. His designs drew from the value and freedom of cars in popular culture and through a multimedia approach, the cars became a vehicle of the future, exploring the future of cars through the i7 miniatures and how technology impacts the way culture is perceived. The miniature cars are only available for purchase exclusively at Frieze Seoul. Take a look at the artists’ limited edition piece above.
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2024-09-06 09:26