Samson Young
German automaker BMW is sponsoring creativity with the awarding of its first Art Journey in collaboration with Art Basel Hong Kong, which was given to Hong Kong-based Samson Young.
BMW will be documenting and sharing Mr. Young’s tour of five continents with consumers, as he works on his “For Whom the Bell Tolls: A Journey Into the Sonic History of Conflict” project, focusing on the relationship between the military and the musical instruments. Supporting creative minds allows automakers to subtly broadcast their own ingenuity and attention to aesthetics.
Taking a trip
Mr. Young was inspired by the cyclical pairing of bells and cannons. When at war, nations would melt bells to create cannons, and when peace was restore, the bells would be reset out of the melted weapons leftover from the conflict.
To complete the project, the artist will journey to visit bells and research institutions in Myanmar, Kenya, Austria, Cologne, Morocco, Sicily, South Korea, Australia and several cities in the United Kingdom and United States. Here, he will draw on his experience as a composer, recording the sounds of iconic bells and turning them into an auditory archive, a set of “sound sketches,” a new set of bells cast in bronze and an original musical piece for bell ringers and orchestra.
Map of Samson Young's journey
Along the way, BMW will publish highlights of his trip through print, online and social media.
In a brand statement, Mr. Young said, “I am, naturally, thrilled to be able to make this journey happen. The BMW Art Journey is a real luxury in that it facilitates the research and the fieldwork - the drifting that drives the work - that is indispensable to the outcome of the creative process.”
BMW will judge its next Art Journey in Art Basel in Miami Beach, and will announce the winner in early 2016.
The automaker has been a frequent supporter of Art Basel.
BMW supplemented its official partnership of Art Basel Miami Dec. 4-7 with a number of initiatives that elevated the brand’s visibility among the ultra-affluent consumers roaming about.
The brand’s Art Car series has commanded the respect of both auto and art enthusiasts around the world as top artists including Frank Stella, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer, Olafur Eliasson and Jeff Koons have designed a vehicle. The Lichtenstein BMW 320 Group 5 helped BMW gain credibility among the many guests who took advantage of the brand’s other offers (see story).