Sam Lewitt to create BMW Open Work 2018. Artwork inspired by BMW technology to premiere at Frieze London.
London/Munich. BMW and Frieze continue their long-term partnership with the major artistic initiative BMW Open Work by Frieze. Curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, the initiative brings together art, design and technology in pioneering multi-platform formats. The artist chosen to create the second BMW Open Work for Frieze London 2018 is New York-based artist Sam Lewitt.
The concept
Curated by Attilia Fattori Franchini, BMW Open Work 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 artist considers current and future technologies as tools for innovation and artistic experimentation. Premiering at Frieze London, the 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.
Franchini has selected international artist Sam Lewitt for the second installment of the BMW Open Work commission in 2018.
Franchini said: “Now in its second year, BMW Open Work offers to artists the possibility of engaging in a rich dialogue with BMW engineering and design expertise. This dialogue is a unique possibility of encounter and creation between different fields. Working with a sharp artist such as Sam Lewitt, whose project challenges conceptually and sculpturally our understanding at the core of motor corporate production, is absolutely thrilling.”
“Commissioning new work has been at the heart of Frieze London since it began. Through this partnership with BMW, we are thrilled to be supporting ambitious, thought-provoking work and opening up conversations between art, design and technology”, said Jo Stella-Sawicka, Artistic Director, Frieze.
Dr Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW Group, said: “We are extremely happy seeing BMW Open Work moving forward in its second year. Attilia Fattori Franchini has done an exceptional job shaping this initiative and making it another great example of BMW’s commitment to artistic freedom in creative practice. It has been very exciting to see Sam Lewitt engage with our BMW engineers and experts, and I cannot wait to see the result come to life in our BMW Lounge later in the year.”
Lewitt is now in the process of developing his commission for BMW Open Work, which will be premiered at Frieze London in October 2018. Further details will be announced in the coming months.
For further information in the course of the project, 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 since 2017. Olivia Erlanger was selected for the inaugural commission. Her work ‘Body Electric’ offered an immersive, sensory exploration of natural phenomena and their relation to humankind’s technological achievements.