Esther Mahlangu and BMW Group engineer Stella Clarke meet at the opening of Esther Mahlangu's first retrospective in Cape Town.
#BMWi5 #BMWi5FlowNOSTOKANA #BMWArtCar #FriezeArtFair
This one-of-a-kind BMW combines color-change technology developed by BMW with the artistic language of South African artist Esther Mahlangu. With sections of attached film that can be electronically animated, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA embodies the latest development in color-change technology for vehicle surfaces in cooperation with E Ink.
We were on hand as the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA celebrated its world premiere at the fair opening. The contemporary tribute recalls the BMW Art Car designed by Mahlangu in 1991. “The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA honors the history of the BMW brand and continues the story of our global cultural engagement in a unique way. It combines art and design through progressive technology. Here, technology itself becomes art,” says Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design.
Photo By Clint Strydom
In 1991, Mahlangu designed the 12th BMW Art Car, based on a BMW 525i – becoming the first woman and first African artist to do so. “Her art inspired me years ago, back when the concept of color change on a car was just an idea in my head,” says Stella Clarke, Research Engineer Open Innovations at the BMW Group. Now, being able to realize this idea, and work with Esther Mahlangu, is absolutely surreal.” The 88-year-old artist’s signature colors and geometric patterns are perfect for bringing the innovative Flow technology to life in the BMW i5. The versatility of the electrophoretic color changes makes the fully electric sedan a dynamic work of art. “It is fascinating to me to see how modern technology can expand my art and make it accessible to a completely new audience,” says Mahlangu.
The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, is named after Mahlangu’s first son.
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