I, like many others, descended upon Miami last week for the global art show, Art Basel. This wasn’t my first time attending the epic show, but it was the first time that I went for strictly enjoyment purposes. I was already scheduled to be in Palm Beach, which is about an hour away, later in the week...so it seemed like a no brainer to fly out a few days early and take in everything there was to be seen. Needless to say, it did not disappoint, in fact - it mesmerized!
If you’ve ever been to Art Basel in Miami before, then you know that the city feels like the epicenter of all things art for that week, and it’s a flurry of events and shows all day and into the night. It’s hard to know at times which one you should go to as you’ll be missing out on another. There was one event, though that I knew was not to be missed and I was a special guest of BMW, which guaranteed my access into this very special moment at Basel.
With minimal insight into what to expect, I entered the Faena Beach Dome on December 6th and was immediately consumed with everything this event was celebrating - the world premiere of “FRANCHISE FREEDOM.” In partnership with BMW, Dutch based Studio Drift created an airborne sculpture illuminating the sky with 300 drones that moved across the sky above the ocean mimicking a flock of birds and creating a performative artwork at the interface between technology, science, and art. By imitating the natural phenomenon of a swarm of birds, it is the first time for this orchestrated movement to be presented by machines working with decentralized algorithms at a very large scale.
I know this image doesn't do it justice as it's just a sliver of how incredible it was to experience this art in motion; to get the full picture, I’d suggest taking a look right here...as well as watching this video...
After bearing witness to the tremendous premiere, I went back inside with an appetite to learn more about how Studio Drift’s vision became a reality. I learned that BMW has an invested interested in recognizing and enabling talent in the arts. In fact, they have a 50-year global track record of making artistic visions come true and takes special care in honoring the full creative freedom of any artist or institution they collaborate with. When Studio Drift approached BMW in regard to their ambitious project, the company, as long-term partner of Art Basel, could not pass on the challenge.
As an artist who has partnered with complimentary brands before, I was especially happy to hear how thoughtful BMW is when it comes to working with an artist. It takes a special kind of partner to work with a fine artist, as it’s always a delicate balance to ensure it’s mutually beneficial, yet truly organic. Considering the artistry of their automobiles, though I can understand their genuine interest in the art world.
Along with FRANCHISE FREEDOM, also on display was the BMW Concept 8 Series, a study car to provide a taste of what’s to come in the New Year for BMW’s new designs and form-building techniques.
It was a tremendous evening and I am so happy to have been able to experience it all.
The next day, back at Faena, I had the chance to enjoy breakfast with other special guests of the previous night’s festivities. It was awesome chatting with those who also had the special opportunity of seeing the swirling drones in the dark of night.
It also was a lovely moment sipping our coffee alongside the stunning ‘Gone but not Forgotten,’ sculpture art installation by Damien Hirst at Faena. The rest of the my Art Basel flew by but I’ll always remember the mesmerizing time spent soaking in every single moment! Special thanks to BMW for including me in their extraordinary event and congratulations to Studio Drift to accomplishing such a powerful piece!
Cheers,
Xx
GM
_\*This post is in partnership with BMW\*_