The Exclusive North American Premiere of the BMW i8 MemphisStyle at Frieze Art Fair New York. BMW presents two Art and Design Talks in partnership with SoHo House.

Munich/New York. The partnership between the BMW
Group and the Frieze New York art fair will enter its sixth
consecutive year, when the fair opens its gates on Manhattan’s Randall
Island from May 5 – 7, 2017. As part of this year’s activities, and in
addition to providing VIP shuttle service in a fleet of BMW 7 Series
vehicles, BMW will host two exclusive events in partnership with Soho
House – an Art Talk on May 3rd and a Design Talk on May
6th. Throughout Frieze week BMW will also welcome fair
visitors to a dedicated BMW Lounge which will showcase the new and
exclusive BMW i8 MemphisStyle, celebrating its North American premiere.  

The Memphis Group revolutionized the world of design by being an
antithesis to functionalism and any commercial logic in the 1980s.
Founded in 1981 by Ettore Sottsass Jr., the group’s style was
provocative and inspired by movements like Art Deco with its
geometrical shapes and Pop Art with its bright colors and Kitsch. The
BMW i8 MemphisStyle, thus, blazes in a colorful brightness with
horizontal and vertical lines along with hypnotic patterns decorating
the surface. Those contrasts display the pure expression of rebellion
and liberation from the rigid standards of traditional design. The BMW
i8 MemphisStyle was designed and produced in cooperation with Garage
Italia Customs. 

By questioning existing principles and designs and breaking new
ground in form and function, both the Memphis Group and BMW i pursue
similar approaches. On May 4 from 5:00 -7:00 p.m. BMW will also host a
conversation at the opening of the BMW Lounge on Memphis Design
entitled, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Memphis Design Rocks.” Carl
Gustav Magnusson, industrial designer, and Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of
BMW Group Cultural Engagement, will take a look at this unique project
and the connection between creative potential and the courage and
challenges of innovation. Just as Memphis has overturned all the
existing principles around the idea of “living”, the artist Roy
Lichtenstein revolutionized the understanding of art through his Comic
and Pop Art in the 1960s, which is evident in the third BMW Art Car,
which Lichtenstein designed in 1977. The original, signed BMW Art Car
Maquette by Roy Lichtenstein will also be on display in the BMW Lounge. 

In addition to its on-fairground activities, BMW will host two talks
as part of an ongoing partnership with Soho House. On May
3rd, Deana Lawson and Dashiell Manley, two well-established
and ambitious artists, will speak about the challenge of “How to Make
it in the Art World”, moderated by Lynette Lee. On May 6th,
the artist and innovator Daan Roosegarde, Jessica Lax of the Van Alen
Institute and Dr. Thomas Girst, Head of BMW Group Cultural Engagement,
will provide “A Journey into the Future” by giving an outlook about
future landscapes and designs. 

As one of the most important fairs of contemporary art worldwide,
Frieze New York presents over 200 leading international galleries
annually. BMW has been a partner of Frieze London since 2004, and in
2012, the partnership was extended to include Frieze New York. Apart
from Frieze, for more than a decade, BMW has been an active partner of
renowned international art fairs including Art Basel Hong Kong, Miami
and Basel, Gallery Weekend Berlin and TEFAF Maastricht. In addition,
the BMW Group is partner of internationally acclaimed museums such as
Tate Modern in London, publishes the “BMW Art Guide by Independent
Collectors” together with Independent Collectors and focuses on
promoting young art with initiatives such as the BMW Art Journey or
the Preis der Nationalgalerie.

 

For further questions please contact:

Dr Thomas Girst

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Head of Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-24753

 

Leonie Laskowski

BMW Group Corporate and Intergovernmental Affairs

Cultural Engagement

Telephone: +49-89-382-45382

 

Phil DiIanni

BMW of North America

Manager, Corporate Communications

Telephone: +1-201-571-5660

 

www.press.bmwgroup.com

Email: presse@bmw.de 

 

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.
Currently, female artist Cao Fei from China and American John
Baldessari are creating 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/BMW-Group-Culture-925330854231870/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroupculture/

@BMWGroupCulture

#BMWGroupCulture

  

The BMW Group

With its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce, 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.

 www.bmwgroup.com

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