London/Munich. Enhancing the long-term partnership
between BMW and Frieze, BMW Open Work launches at Frieze London 2017
with a new multi-platform commission by New York-based artist
Olivia Erlanger. Entitled “Body Electric”,
Erlanger’s immersive work unfolds across physical spaces at the fair,
as well as digital platforms. Frieze London takes place in The
Regent’s Park from 5 to 8 October, with a Preview Day on 4 October.
“Body Electric” by Olivia Erlanger
“Body Electric” conjures fictional tales inspired by
science-fiction, economic flows and integrated design. Bringing
together digital and sculptural elements, the artwork is triggered by
viewers moving between spaces and devices.
Part of Erlanger’s immersive installation occupies the BMW Lounge at
Frieze London. Three motion-sensitive benches – the oldest industrial
element placed in public contexts – acts as an audio device, inviting
audiences to sit and listen to real and fictional testimonies about an
ecological event. A thick mist of fog and blue light creates an
immersive atmosphere of limited visibility, constantly changing in
response to oil price variations.
The second part of “Body Electric” can be experienced in the
BMW Courtesy Car Service, where a selection of videos visually extends
the fictional testimonies. In addition, a new website
body-openwork-electric.art is
the project’s final landing platform.
Drawing inspiration from current and future technologies, “Body
Electric” speculates on the changing relationship between
humans and their environment, as an increasingly unpredictable natural
world mediates and distorts our bodily experience.
“As humans begin a mutative synthesis with our machines, ‘Body
Electric’ considers the changing relationship that we have to
the environment, as our embodied experience of the ‘natural’ becomes
increasingly mediated and distorted by objects of our own
design“, Erlanger said of her creative approach.
BMW Open Work – The concept
Curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, BMW Open Work annually invites
an artist to develop a visionary project that creates an immersive
experience for the viewer. Drawing inspiration from BMW design,
engineering and technology, the commissioned artists will consider
current and future technologies as tools for innovation and artistic
experimentation. Premiering annually at Frieze London, each artwork
will have the potential to unfold across physical spaces, such as the
fair’s BMW Lounge and Courtesy Car Service, as well as digital platforms.
The initiative’s title “Open Work” is inspired by Umberto Eco’s
literary essay “Opera Aperta” (1962) which proposes the idea that
artworks are constituted in part by the public or by chance, and are
therefore open to a wide range of interpretations.
Attilia Fattori Franchini said: “BMW Open Work
offers artists the opportunity to engage with audiences in new and
unexpected ways. The possibility of launching BMW Open Work with such
a talented artist as Olivia Erlanger, whose project will observe the
effect of technology on humans and nature, is absolutely thrilling.”
“This is a great development of our partnership with BMW, and of
BMW’s long-standing commitment to and engagement with contemporary
art. I am very happy we are able to launch this new initiative
together that offers a unique opportunity to an artist and I look
forward to seeing Olivia Erlanger’s project at Frieze London in
October”, said Victoria Siddall, Director, Frieze Fairs.
Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said:
“Offering BMW’s technological knowledge and future-oriented topics as
tools for an artist to create a visionary piece of art out of it is a
fascinating idea. As with all our initiatives within BMW Group’s
cultural engagement, artistic freedom is essential to enable
groundbreaking works, which is why we are extremely happy to have
Attilia Fattori Franchini on board. We are excited to see how her
overall vision will shape this project.”
For further information please go to:
https://frieze.com/bmw-open-work
BMW has been partnering with Frieze since 2004. In 2012, they
co-initiated the “Frieze Sounds” program. BMW Open Work builds upon
this long-term collaboration.
For further questions please contact:
Dr Thomas Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 24753, Fax: +49 89 382 24418
Leonie Laskowski
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49 89 382 45382, Fax: +49 89 382 24418
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de
Michelangelo Bendandi
Communications
Frieze
Telephone: +44 3372 6100
E-Mail: press@frieze.com
About Frieze
Frieze is the world’s leading platform for modern and contemporary
art for scholars, connoisseurs, collectors and the general public
alike. Frieze comprises three magazines—frieze magazine,
Frieze Masters Magazine and Frieze Week—and three
international art fairs—Frieze London, Frieze Masters and Frieze New
York. Additionally, Frieze organizes a program of special courses and
lectures in London through Frieze Academy.
Frieze was founded in 1991 by Matthew Slotover and Amanda Sharp, with
the launch of frieze, the leading international magazine of
contemporary art and culture. In 2003, Sharp and Slotover launched
Frieze London art fair, which takes place each October in The Regent’s
Park, London. In 2012, they launched Frieze New York, which occurs
each May in New York’s Randall’s Island Park, and Frieze Masters,
which coincides with Frieze London in October and is dedicated to art
from ancient to modern. Frieze fairs are sponsored by global lead
partner Deutsche Bank.
About Attilia Fattori Franchini
Attilia Fattori Franchini is an independent curator and writer based
in London. She is co-founder of the not for profit online
platforms bubblebyte.org and Opening Times. Attilia is currently
working on Curva Blu, a residency project in Favignana, Sicily, and is
co-curator of ARS17+ the online extension of the exhibition ARS17
currently at Kiasma, Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki.
Recent projects include: Meshes of the Afternoon, Roman Road, London,
2017; Céu Torto, Boatos Fine Arts, São Paulo, BR, February
2017; Dawning, Capitán Gallo, Mexico City, MX, February 2017; Europa
and the Bull at LambdaLambdaLambda, Pristina, Kosovo, 2016,
Oa4s, Temra and David in 4 parts, Sorbus, Helsinki, 2016; Yves
Scherer, Snow White and The Huntsman, Mexico City, 2016; Basic
Instinct, Seventeen, London, 2015; Guest Curator, Kuvat
Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, 2015; Bold Tendencies 2015, London.
About Olivia Erlanger
Olivia Erlanger (b.1990, New York, NY) is a sculptor based in New
York City. Recent projects include, ‘a. or fifty thousand’ at 83 Pitt
St. New York, ‘Dripping Tap’ at Mathew, New York and The Oily Actor at
What Pipeline, Illinois. Recent group shows include ‘Wormwood’ at
Ellis King, Dublin, ‘Eric Schmid is an Idiot’, Cave, Illininois,
‘Other People’s Things’, Brown University, RI, Daydream from 2013,
CANADA, NY. Erlanger was recently a fellow at IdeasCity 2017 in Arles,
France and a visiting artist at Brown University in 2016. She
co-authored Hate Suburbia with Luis Ortega Govela, the
forthcoming second edition is with MIT Press due out in Fall 2018.
Forthcoming essay, ‘Born Goth’ co-authored with Ortega Govela is
included in Harvard Design Magazine’s Summer 2017 issue and the two
are currently directing a documentary. Further information at
oliviaerlanger.com
About BMW Group’s Cultural Commitment
For almost 50 years now, the BMW Group has initiated and engaged in
over 100 cultural cooperations worldwide. The company places the main
focus of its long-term commitment on contemporary and modern art,
classical music and jazz as well as architecture and design. In 1972,
three large-scale paintings were created by the artist Gerhard Richter
specifically for the foyer of the BMW Group’s Munich headquarters.
Since then, artists such as Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Daniel Barenboim,
Jonas Kaufmann and architect Zaha Hadid have co-operated with BMW. In
2016 and 2017, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari created the next two vehicles for the BMW Art Car
Collection. Besides co-initiatives, such as BMW Tate Live, the BMW Art
Journey and the “Opera for All” concerts in Berlin, Munich and London,
the company also partners with leading museums and art fairs as well
as orchestras and opera houses around the world. The BMW Group takes
absolute creative freedom in all its cultural activities – as this
initiative is as essential for producing groundbreaking artistic work
as it is for major innovations in a successful business.
Further information: www.bmwgroup.com/culture
and www.bmwgroup.com/culture/overview
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMWGroupCulture/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/
@BMWGroupCulture
#BMWGroupCulture
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW
Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and
motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services.
As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production and assembly
facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than
140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was approximately
€ 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16 billion. As of 31
December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of 124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
Google+: http://googleplus.bmwgroup.com