BMW Art Car #18 by Chinese multimedia artist Cao Fei takes the iconic series into the 21st century by going digital – through both virtual and augmented reality, inviting the viewer to participate and transform the M6 GT3 racecar into a living sculpture before racing at Macau in November.
I go behind the scenes to meet the artist and see how her BMW Art Car reflects the next life of the automobile. Read the full story here.
China’s contemporary art scene may be flourishing, with areas like Beijing’s 798 district rampant with talent, yet sadly there are few opportunities for these young emerging artists to make a living out of their work. Thankfully companies like Mocamomo are coming to the rescue by giving emerging artists an opportunity to commercialise their inspirations.
The Chinese/Canadian mobile accessories firm primarily works with local talent with Mocamomo lead designers, Ed Wong from Toronto and Vicky Yang from Shenzhen, producing unique phone and tablet cases inspired by these artists. The first two collections featured 16 artists, which were then documented and exhibited in collaboration with Shanghai-based creative agency NeochaEDGE.
The team have also looked to China’s second tier cities for inspiration. ‘Art lovers and independent-thinking youth can be found all over China, not just in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou,’ says Yang. ‘We’ve done quite well in places like Chengdu.’
Smartphone adoption is growing steadily, and China’s younger generation are using their personal electronics to make personal statements. You see many young women in China’s big cities changing their phone case to match the colour of their outfit.
Wong admits that what really sets them apart from other accessories providers is their independence, which encourages them to support these emerging artists. ‘We know our art-inspired product lines aren’t meant for the mass consumer and probably never will be,’ he says. ‘We’re serving a niche and the feedback we get has been tremendous.’
Read our previous reports on emerging designers from China here. For more Chinese designers visit Bundshop.
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