Young, innovative art at the BMW Welt

Munich. Within the BMW Welt, designed by COOP HIMMELB(L)AU and opened on
20th October, the interior of the building has also become a remarkably
impressive sight. For two classes of the Munich Academy of Fine Arts it
also constitutes an artistic platform for the creative presentation of
visionary and filigree architecture. The 18 young artists from Prof.
Norbert Prangenberg's class for ceramic and glass and the photography
class conducted by Prof. Dieter Rehm looked into the synergy of the
outer structure and the interior of BMW Welt. They had already
witnessed the development of the imposing building during the
construction stage and, based on their impressions, decorated the
transparent rooms with innovative exhibits. "We are pleased that,
due to our longstanding partnership with the Academy of Fine Arts, the
creative design of BMW Welt has been significantly influenced by the
young talents of the Munich Art Academy," commented Rudolf
Wiedemann, Head of BMW Welt. On the occasion of the exhibition,
curated by Jone Elissa Scherf, two catalogues have been published,
"Schräg zu Sonne, Skewed to the Sun, Class for Ceramic and
Glass Professor Norbert Prangenberg", and "Shifting Borders,
Study Workshop and Class of Professor Dieter Rehm" containing
coloured illustrations, artists' biographies and statements in German
and English as well as a foreword by Dr. Michael Ganal, Board Member of
the BMW AG. Both catalogues are available at BMW Welt, to which you are
cordially invited to experience the young artists' works of art. The
mutual cooperation between the BMW Group and the Academy of Fine Arts
began more than twenty years ago, this also being evident in the
sustainable support of the Academy Gallery at the university
underground station. In this unconventional exhibition forum, selected
works by young university talents from all semesters are presented. The
gallery has been jointly supported by the BMW Group and the Cultural
Department of the city of Munich since 1996. Furthermore, annual
purchases of students' works are made for BMW Group premises.
International artists exhibit in the BMW Welt Artists and their works
will also form a part of the opening exhibition dealing with the theme
BMW EfficientDynamics. The sculptures of the American artist Tim
Prentice combine art, science and technology into one. The filigree
works provide a new interpretation of aerodynamics, lightweight
construction and optimisation of energy flux. The interplay of air and
light breathes life into the delicately formed sculptures as - embedded
into the film projection of the double cone - they glimmer through the
spacious plaza. The 12 columns by Frank Raendchen, which powerfully
accentuate the structural architecture on the main and lower floors of
the double cone, are made of granite and glass. With his sculptures the
Hamburg artist facilitates an experience of archaic power and movement
- but, at the same time, of a stony lightness. When the translucent
light transforms the upper sections of the columns into an almost
suspended state, the artist appears to have lifted the boundaries of
structural calculations. Through his sculptures new perspectives on
movement, lightness and energy are created. Also inside the double
cone, Bernhard Edmaier's pictures offer a fascinating insight into the
diversity and beauty of planet earth - not only as a result of the new
perspectives experienced by the beholder. Amazing structures and
meticulously finished landscape surfaces complement each other in unison
with the diversity of BMW materials and surfaces. "We operate at
the BMW Group location, which also involves focussing totally on
innovation when supporting the arts," commented Rudolf Wiedemann,
referring to the opening exhibition which can be seen at BMW Welt until
March 2008. For further details please visit: www.bmwgroup.de/culture
www.bmw-welt.de www.adbk.de/akgalerie