Photography by Lucy Emms. Image Courtesy of BMW Group.
The performance starts with one single beam of light. It’s moving, vibrating; growing brighter, and almost disappearing again behind a wall of smooth, constant rain. The music is deep and calming yet somehow dramatic. Then, Es Devlin‘s voice appears, telling the story of her first ever childhood memory: a single beam of light, voices, and around her only water and darkness.
For her collaboration with BMW for this year’s Art Basel in Basel, the British artist decided to transform a very personal story into a performance that drew viewers into an intricate dance between human creativity and technological innovation, highlighting the unique spirit of BMW’s groundbreaking iX5 Hydrogen vehicle.
Devlin’s year-long exploration of BMW’s hydrogen technology is evident in her thoughtful and intricate works. She discovered the harmonious process of hydrogen fuel cells, where the energy used to separate hydrogen atoms is reclaimed when they recombine, leaving water as the sole byproduct. This scientific elegance is artfully reflected in the iX5 Hydrogen’s design, adorned with Devlin’s blue-and-white collage featuring texts and images that bridge her artistic journey with BMW’s technological advancements.
Photography by Enes Kucevic. Image Courtesy of BMW Group.
LEFT & RIGHT Photography by Lucy Emms MIDDLE Photography by Gary Yeh. Image Courtesy of BMW Group.
Therefore, 30 of the around 33 worldwide existing iX5-vehicles served as moving canvases and shuttles during Art Basel and offered passengers to experience the convergence of art and engineering. Through a recorded conversation between Devlin and BMW engineers, guests could also listen to how BMW’s hydrogen technology works, how the car produces water while driving, and what the future of hydrogen as sustainable energy source could look like.
Michael Rath, Head of Hydrogen Vehicles at BMW Group, extolled Devlin’s works as a testament to how technology can inspire art. He emphasized the role of hydrogen technology in driving the shift towards a sustainable future, mirrored in Devlin’s innovative creations. Among four other artworks by Es Devlin, the seven-minute dance performance inside the cube of rain and light, definitely was the highlight of the collaboration. With a choreography by Sharon Eyal and music by Polyphonia, the guests could be enchanted by SURFACING’s ethereal beauty.
Through SURFACING, BMW proved once again, that science and innovation have no boundaries. That art connects people, materials, and mediums, and that there’s definitely a lot more to come.