PressClub South Africa · Article.
ROLLS-ROYCE PREVIEWS EMIRATI ARTIST MOHAMMED KAZEM’S NEW WORK FOR THE ART PROGRAMME IN LONDON
Fri Mar 31 13:37:03 CEST 2017 Press Release
At an exclusive event in London last night, hosted by Rolls-Royce Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös, two highly anticipated new works were premiered.
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Lindsay Pieterse
BMW Group
At an exclusive event in London last night, hosted by Rolls-Royce
Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös, two highly anticipated
new works were premiered.
The marque’s global centre of excellence, the Home of
Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, was the source of inspiration
for both works, the first an exciting collaboration between Emirati
artist Mohammed Kazem and the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Design collective
and the second, the next in a series of short films created by the
marque to introduce the world to the House of Rolls-Royce and to
celebrate its rich heritage.
Kazem, a pioneer of contemporary art in the UAE, was
commissioned for the Rolls-Royce Art Programme. The new work is formed
of two parts and furthers the artist’s Directions series, a
body of work which renders transient phenomena, in this case data
points, into a tangible form.
The first, a sculptural piece, consists of a group of numbers
and letters created from steel, which are the coordinates of the
craftsmen and women from the Home of Rolls-Royce that Kazem
encountered on visiting Goodwood. As the data points indicate specific
locations, they also bear a sense of the environments they represent,
encapsulating ideological elements. These numbers and letters,
although architecturally composed, are displayed in a spontaneous
manner, encouraging an interaction with the viewer through reflections
of the individual and their surrounding environment.
On visiting the Home of Rolls-Royce, the residing Bespoke Design
team and Kazem found a mutual respect for one another’s art.
Collaboratively, they were moved to create a unique motor car, which
weaves Kazem’s interest in latitude and longitude coordinates into the
heart of its very being. A Rolls-Royce Wraith forms the second part of
Kazem’s art work, commissioned by Abu Dhabi Motors, furthering still
his Directions series.
Patrons of Rolls-Royce frequently request that the master
craftspeople behind the creation of their motor car sign their work.
Here, this notion is enhanced by using the coordinates of
Rolls-Royce’s artisans and physically integrating these data points
into the fabric of the motor car. The Bespoke Starlight Headliner
alone is the product of nearly 90 hours of painstaking work, with 863
individually placed fibre-optic threads sewn by hand to complement
60,000 individually embroidered stitches. A Bespoke backlit clock is
embellished with the coordinates, whilst a hand-painted feature line
reminds the viewer of the locality of the Home of Rolls-Royce and Abu
Dhabi Motors, the starting and ending destinations for this Bespoke Wraith.
Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive Officer, Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars commented, “The Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex, is
a source of inspiration for artists, patrons and craftspeople alike.
It is a delight to see Mohammed Kazem’s artistic practice envelop
Wraith, creating a motor car which truly embodies the spirit of the
craftsmen and women from our global centre of luxury excellence.”
Of the commission, Mohammed Kazem said, “I have thoroughly
enjoyed my experience of being part of the Rolls-Royce Art Programme.
From visiting Goodwood, the home of the marque and taking inspiration
from their master craftspeople, to working with the Rolls-Royce design
team on the concept for a Wraith incorporating key elements of my work
and ultimately, allowing me to create a metal sculpture for the first
time. I am pleased that the work and car can first be shown in London,
close to where the process began, before finally going on show in Abu
Dhabi next month.”
Mohammed Kazem’s new work for the Rolls-Royce Art Programme will
be publicly exhibited at the Rolls-Royce Abu Dhabi showroom from 27
April – 25 May 2017.
Artisans at Rolls-Royce commit to an undertaking of delivering
objects that represent the very best of human endeavour, creating
motor cars that become unique works of art in their own right. Often
it starts with a simple inspiration; a colour, a piece of art or even
a significant event in a patron’s life. No two Rolls-Royces are
therefore ever the same, barring one shared characteristic; each
represents an expression of the life and passions of its patron. But
they all share in the fact that each motor car represents an
individual timeless Bespoke commission.
The second in a series of short films will be premiered by the
marque at
www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com
on 7 April 2017, taking us to the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood,
England, where Rolls-Royce’s global centre of luxury excellence resides.
Academy Award winning actress Kate Winslet once again becomes
the voice of the Spirit of Ecstasy, leading us on a journey to a place
where colourists and sculptors, designers and engineers collaborate
under one roof, with a single objective… To deliver perfection.
The first in the series of short films was premiered in December
2016, which shared the story of how the Spirit of Ecstasy came to be
not only the Rolls-Royce muse, but also to be a symbol that represents
the very best of the best, becoming the great icon of luxury
excellence that serves as our beacon today.
At the Home of Rolls-Royce, the art of true luxury is practised.
The materials are sourced with no concession to compromise. The
craftsmen and women are guided by the philosophy of co-founder Sir
Henry Royce, to “Take the best that exists and make it better. If it
doesn’t exist, design it.” It is here that Rolls-Royce constantly
raise the standards by which all other luxury goods are judged and
where it cements its proud standing as the most celebrated luxury
house in 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 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.
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