Mercedes-Benz NXT, the organisation’s Web3 arm bridges the gap between digital art and the traditional art world. Mercedes-Benz NXT aims to solidify the brand’s long term commitment to blockchain based digital art and objects. The initiative is run by 0xNxt (a creative studio for Mercedes-Benz) and marks an exciting long term commitment to create digital art projects that cleverly showcase new technologies.
Mercedes-Benz NXT’s inaugural core collection is titled Maschine and is created by generative artist Harm van den Dorpel and art collectors FingerprintsDAO. Harm van den Dorpel chose motion, velocity, and perception as the core themes of his work, inspired by both rotating car wheels and the history of German engineering. Each unique artwork depicts a mesmeric radial pattern of complex and constantly changing illusions that occur when certain objects spin and accelerate.
For Maschine, van den Dorpel created and trained a neural network to identify and select generated outputs in line with his own artistic preferences.
“The technical features given by blockchain have helped consolidate the fluid character of digital art in all its variations, in terms of ownership, provenance and conservation.” Harm van den Dorpel
Fingerprints DAO, the other collaborator is dedicated to advancing outstanding generative art and has collected many pioneering blockchain works.
This is not the first time Mercedes has partnered with digital artists. In 2021, they invited the exceptional Serwah Attafuah, Johanna Jaskowska and Krista Kim to stage the EQS vehicle within their digital artistic worlds.
Through their work these three artists rethink the interplay of technology and creativity — taking art out of the gallery and placing it squarely in the hands of a newly emerging digital audience. The results are unique visual experiences, where the EQS’s innovational power is charged with the medium’s very own desire for transformation.
In Antheia 2021, Attafuah has placed the EQS on a faraway planet bursting with delicate flowers. A symbolic image that speaks of the artist’s hope for a greener and more sustainable world. In Top Coat, Jaskowska has covered the EQS by a translucent plasma-like surface, rendering the car concealed from view and yet already present. A sign of how the future of mobility is taking its shape in today’s world. Kim positions a transparent EQS in front of her LED installation “Continuum”. Its colorful light bounces off the car’s exterior, making it a reflective space for vision and creativity.
BMW are also working with leading artists to pioneer the use of digital art in the industry. Cao Fei, is the exceptional multi-media artist who designed the BMW Art Car #18 back in 2017. Fei added a new facet to the BMW Art Car Collection — creating a parallel imaginative world for the car over three years. Combining VR and video to showcase the co-existence of the digital and real worlds.
“The car should not only race in a physical way but the car should also be racing in the heart.” Cao Fei
In 2021, Cao Fei created Quantum Garden, the logical continuum of the Art Car. Quantum Garden is a digital, artistic work for the latest My Mode by BMW: the Digital Art Mode (experienced on the curved screen in the car’s interior). The Digital Art Mode gives the BMW driver the chance to experience the ever-changing digital landscapes of a multifaceted universe in a screen world, where abstract poetry and sensory pixels intersect. Cao Fei’s artistic work becomes a unique, immersive experience within the vehicle.
As art and technology continues to develop car manufacturers should continue pushing the boundaries with autonomous digital art collaboration. Mercedes-Benz and BMW have embraced this innovative approach by partnering with renowned digital artists, bridging the gap between the traditional art world and emerging digital landscapes.
In April 2022, Lamborghini partnered with digital artist Krista Kim (who also partnered with BMW), musician Steve Aoki and brand storytelling agency [INVNT GROUP] for a project that united design, music, and cutting-edge technology to create the perfect and beautiful celebration of the brand’s legacy.
“This Aventador is a legend, it is the first physical-digital supercar! When higher states of consciousness meet leading-edge technology & design, we see elevated beauty on another level. In my Lamborghini NFT dream, I envision meditating in front of a sublime Mars sunset with Steve, as he transforms the engine sound into a meditative vibe. I couldn’t be more excited to bring this vision to life in the physical car & NFT.” Krista Kim
The Italian marque auctioned the last Lamborghini Aventador LP 780–4 Ultimae Coupé ever produced and a specifically created one-of-one NFT. The Lamborghini ‘Ultimate’ drop was the world’s first supercar 1:1 NFT and marked the end of a successful era for Lamborghini and signified moving the raging bull forward into the digital era.
Through their initiatives, these organisations have not only enhanced the visual experiences of their vehicles but also brought art to a wider digital audience. With these collaborations, car manufacturers are helping the evolution of digital art whilst at the same time positioning their brand at the heart of culture, creating a harmonious synergy between the automotive industry and the realm of artistic expression.