October 3, 2019
Rolls-Royce and the Serpentine Galleries recently entered into a partnership. Image credit: Rolls-Royce
British automaker Rolls-Royce is updating its Art Program format with the creation of two new biennial projects.
Originally launched in 2014, the Rolls-Royce Art Program was designed to connect the brand’s clients to the world of contemporary art. Now rebranded as Muse, the program now has a pillar focused on moving image, as Rolls-Royce seeks to play a greater role in the advancement of mediums such as film and animation.
New model
Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Program was introduced on Oct. 3 in London at the Serpentine Galleries.
The new vision for the program includes the Dream Commission and the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge.
Rolls-Royce has rebranded its Art Program
Muse’s flagship initiative is the Dream Commission, which will ask artists at the start or middle of their careers to produce works that innovate the art form of moving images.
The selection process will occur in multiple steps. After a jury of experts from the art world selects a shortlist of four artists, the chosen quartet will be asked to submit a presentation.
Based on these submissions, the jury will select one artist to get the commission. Scheduled to run on a two-year basis, the Dream Commission process will begin anew once the final project is unveiled.
Muse’s Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge will also run on a biennial schedule. Rolls-Royce will challenge artists to reinterpret its iconic hood ornament in a specific material.
For the 2019 edition of the challenge, Rolls-Royce is asking participants to use textiles. Three creatives from the fields such as architecture and fashion design will be chosen to participate. Rolls-Royce will announce the names of the chosen artists later this year.
As part of the process, the participants will meet with craftspeople at Rolls-Royce’s home in Goodwood. The commissions will be presented in 2020, and they will be taken on a global tour.
As part of the evolution of the Art Program, Rolls-Royce will be forging partnerships in the art world. For instance, Muse will be sponsoring an upcoming Cao Fei exhibit at the Serpentine Galleries.
“Since its inception five years ago, the Rolls-Royce Art Program has brought many new artworks to fruition around the world,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in a statement. “ As we look to the future, Muse will enable us to continue this legacy with a vision to expand the horizon of moving image and ignite a dialogue with some of the most exciting creative visionaries of our time.
“In doing so, we will inspire great works that leave a lasting mark on our culture,” he said.
The Art Program has explored new mediums in recent commissions.
Rolls-Royce recently tapped media artist Refik Anadol to create a new data-based digital work for the Rolls-Royce Art Program.
The Turkish-born, Los Angeles-based Mr. Anadol will develop new digital art using data sets pertaining to the color of every Rolls-Royce car created since 2009 at the British automaker’s factory in Goodwood, West Sussex. The new artwork is called Art of Perfection: Data Painting (see story).
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