PressClub South Africa · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE AND CHARLES KAISIN HOST SURREALIST DINNER IN CELEBRATION OF LONDON INSTALLATION
Mon Oct 03 14:33:00 CEST 2016 Press Release
Rolls-Royce hosted an exclusive Surrealist Dinner in London last Thursday to celebrate the Art Programme’s collaboration with Belgian designer Charles Kaisin. The event coincided with the premiere of his origami installation, inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy, the iconic symbol of the marque that has adorned the bonnets of Rolls-Royce motor cars for more than a century.
Press Contact.
Lindsay Pieterse
BMW Group
Tel: +27-12-522-2210
send an e-mail
Rolls-Royce hosted an exclusive Surrealist Dinner in London last
Thursday to celebrate the Art Programme’s collaboration with Belgian
designer Charles Kaisin. The event coincided with the premiere of his
origami installation, inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy, the iconic
symbol of the marque that has adorned the bonnets of Rolls-Royce motor
cars for more than a century. The work, comprising 2500 miniature
depictions of the graceful mascot, will be suspended from the ceiling
of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars London in Berkeley Square until Sunday 16 October.
The designer conceived the entire concept of the evening which
encompassed all five senses and took the theme of ‘The Journey’,
engaging with Rolls-Royce’s spirit of craftsmanship and conveyance in
true luxury.
100 guests enthusiastically met a dress-code befitting the
spirit of the evening ‘Black Tie with a touch of the surreal’. Once
seated, the dinner commenced with the arrival of performers, one per
every two guests, who served in all white domed attire, unveiling four
types of perfumed waters including: wild Italian fennel flowers;
citrus fruit, anis and mint; fresh basil; and hibiscus. In
collaboration with celebrated Michelin-starred chef David Martin,
Kaisin created the design concept of each of the five courses for the
evening. The servers wore paper-folded origami structures as
collars for the starter course and moved in unison to present guests
with king crab, avocado, black sesame, and caviar encased in a
golden tin.
Following this, Ellen Vanherck from the Royal Academy of Music
in London and Eline Antoinette Vandenheede from the Guildhall School
of Music and Drama in London performed a beautiful rendition of
Flower duet
from Leo Delibes’ opera Lakmé and Canzonetta
sull’aria from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro,
accompanied by pianist Chavdar Mazgalov.
After
the performance, the singers revealed that their kimono-style
costumes were part of the white tablecloth, which were withdrawn
from the table as they exited in a performative fashion, adding a
fitting element of theatre. Black cloth was revealed underneath in
preparation for the arrival of the next course of a soup served in a
chemistry-style flask. The soup was presented by masked servers
dressed in silver jumpsuits, representing the Silver Ghost, one of
Rolls-Royce’s defining motor cars.
Kaisin had worked with his team meticulously to produce
individual booklets with a different letter shaped out of the paper
using an intricate folding method, which were handed out to guests
as gifts. Each letter on every book combined to spell out a quote
from Sir Henry Royce, founding forefather of the marque: “Strive
for perfection in everything you do. Take the best that exists and
make it better. When it does not exist, design it.”
The tables were next covered with grass panels before a main
course of black cod was presented by servers who each wore
hand-painted panelled landscapes creating unique environment
representing a fantastic journey. The finale of the evening
took the shape of a wonderful dessert of golden bar,
pistachio and apple leaf, presented by servers in
magnificent, dreamlike cloud costumes with glowing lights.
Guests were treated to a selection of Nyetimber wines –
whose home stands just 20 miles from the Home of Rolls-Royce –
throughout the evening.
The Surrealist Dinner for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars was
the first scenographic spectacular that Kaisin has created in London,
having organised concept dinners for patrons of the arts and luxury
across the world.
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 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and nearly 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2015 was approximately € 9.22 billion on revenues amounting to € 92.18 billion. As of 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce of 122,244 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.
BMW Group websites:
Social Media Pages:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup (BMW South Africa, BMW Motorrad SA, MINISouthAfrica)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup (@BMW_SA, @BMWMotorradSA and @MINISouthAfrica.
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview (BMW South Africa and BMW Motorrad SA