Ten MINI Art Cars in 'Wash Me' [Video]

Project 'Wash Me' shows ten artists' interpretation of a MINI

By Alex Ricciuti
November 6, 2009 6:17 PM
Filed Under: Design, Entertainment, European, MINI

Inspired by the compulsion to write "Wash Me" on a dirty car or to draw something on a fogged windscreen with your finger, ten different artists have interpreted everyday situations using a MINI as their canvas.

The project is called Wash Me and was devised and sponsored by BMW/MINI of Switzerland. Ten local artists and authors were asked to provide their inspiration to the project, which includes a book being published this month. Among the notable Swiss artists participating in the Wash Me endeavor was Dieter Meier, founder of the band Yello.

The project is the creation of Oliver Aeschlimann, of BMW Switzerland Corporate Communications, in collaboration with freelance art director and photographer Nico Ammann. Aeschlimann also served as editor for the book to be published by MINI Switzerland, with the edition limited to 2,000 copies.

The book include photos of each MINI creation and can be downloaded for free in electronic form at the project's website washme.ch.

 

Source: washme.ch

Press Release (Click to expand)

"Wash Me". Ten MINI cars. Ten artists. To mark its 50th anniversary, MINI launches the book "Wash Me".

Zurich. It's always tempting to write "Wash Me" on a dirty car or to draw something on a fogged windscreen with your finger. Everyday situations like this were the inspiration for this publication, says Nico Ammann, art director and photographer of the works featured in the book to be published by MINI Switzerland in a limited edition of 2,000.

The upshot is a colourful volume depicting a wide range of subjects, and one that will appeal not only to MINI fans. The common thread is that none of the ten artists has ever before worked with the automobile as a medium, and each has transformed it into a transient work of art.

The following artists and authors contributed to the book project: Smash137, Fabian Bertschinger, Marisa Pichler and Gigi Burn, Tika, Euro, Aurèle Sack, Stefan Ege and Seak, August, Rémi Jaccard and, last but not least Dieter Meier, also famous as the singer in the band Yello.

Designer Alfredo Häberli provided two sketches and an article. The author and journalist Michèle Roten and Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Otten, director of the design department at Zurich University of the Arts, likewise made creative written contributions to the book, which will be out in early November.

Art always was, and remains, a key aspect of the MINI brand. MINI is, for example, the exclusive partner of the "Ludlow 38" exhibition space at the Goethe-Institut in New York, located in the heart of the thriving gallery district in the Lower East Side, near Chinatown and not far from the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Since its inauguration in 2008, this gallery space has presented contemporary artistic projects in collaboration with various cultural partners in Germany. Through its partnership with brands such as Bisazza and its involvement with FIAC 2007 or the International Talent Support / MINI International Photo Award in Trieste, MINI also remains true to its traditional involvement with unconventional cultural projects. Reason enough to welcome the launch of a vibrant photo book that is bound to delight MINI fans as well as design, art and photographic enthusiasts. For further information on the book please go to www.washme.ch.

 

Comments

nederina
November 6, 2009 6:38 PM
MINI if you're reading this, I appreciate if you could provide us one of your car so that I will allow my kids to throw some paints or wet the interior if you wouldn't mind

MTC
November 6, 2009 6:43 PM
the only problem left is wash them clean

yeah-yeah
November 7, 2009 2:04 PM
yeah... very cool stuff. urban art at its best!

a5turbo
November 7, 2009 11:40 PM
Cool song What's the name of it

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