The BMW Group presents the fusion of art and innovation in the form of the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA at the Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair. This unique vehicle combines color-changing technology developed by BMW with the artistic language of South African artist Esther Mahlangu.
This designer creation is fitted with a piece of film that can be electronically animated and embodies the latest developments in color-changing technology for vehicle surfaces in collaboration with E Ink. The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA will celebrate its world premiere at the opening of the fair on February 29th.
The modern homage 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.
In 1991, Mahlangu designed his 12th BMW art car, based on the BMW 525i. She was the first woman and the first African artist to do so.
“Her art inspired me many years ago, when the concept of changing the color of a car was just an idea in my head,” says BMW Group Open Innovation Director. says research engineer Stella Clark.
“To be able to bring this idea to life and work with Esther Mahlangu now is just surreal.”
The 88-year-old artist's distinctive colors and geometric patterns are perfect for implementing the innovative Flow technology in the BMW i5. The diversity of electrophoretic color changes makes this all-electric sedan a dynamic work of art. “It's so interesting to see how modern technology can extend my art and make it available to a whole new audience,” says Mahlangu.
Mahlangu art meets cutting-edge technology.
In the BMW i5 Flow Nostcana, named after Mahlangu's eldest son, sections of electronically animated film are applied in two strips each to the roof, bonnet, rear section and sides of the vehicle. Similar to e-readers, each E Ink film contains millions of microcapsules. By applying voltage, the structure and arrangement of the color particles contained can be changed. This allows the colors and patterns typical of Mahlangu art to be produced in ever-changing compositions.
The animation is accompanied by equally stunning sounds composed especially for the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA by Renzo Vitale, BMW Group Creative Director for Sound. To combine the soundscape of the BMW brand with that of South Africa's Ndebele culture, Vitale used sequences of Mahlangu's voice and the sound of the feather brush she used to paint. These were combined with sounds generated by colored pencils used in the BMW Design Studio and acoustic signals heard as feedback when operating the BMW i5's touch display. This created a sound mix that started softly at the beginning of each color change and increased in intensity as the animation progressed.
To accurately reproduce intricate decorations down to the smallest detail, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA is fitted with 1,349 film sections, each of which can be controlled individually. The laser cutting process and electronic control design used to trim the film was developed in partnership with E Ink. The adaptation of the curved surface technology and the programmed animations are all in-house developments at the BMW Group.
Overall, color changing technology is developing rapidly. The BMW iX Flow with E Ink, introduced in 2022, had the ability to switch from white to black with the push of a button. This was followed just one year later by the first multicolor implementation. The 240 sections of film applied to the BMW i Vision Dee were able to display up to 32 colors. This latest stage of development now allows for even more colors and patterns. At the same time, the movie section will be more robust, potentially making future series production easier. But for the time being, the BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA will remain unique.
We salute a pioneering artist and her work.
Esther Mahlangu, an internationally respected artist, is known for her Ndebele paintings, whose decorations originally symbolized major events and festive occasions. Marang separated the designs from their original meaning and for the first time transferred them onto canvas, carpets, and everyday objects, preserving them for the future. The BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA reinterprets this artistic language.
In presenting this designer car at Frieze Los Angeles, BMW continues its long-standing collaboration with the renowned art fair. At the same time, the BMW art car that forms the basis of this tribute will also be exhibited in South Africa for the first time in over 30 years as part of an exhibition organized by South Africa's Iziko Museum and the BMW Group.Cape Town “Then I realized I was good at drawing”: Esther Mahlangu. Retrospective exhibition. The exhibition will run until 11 August 2024 and celebrates the lifetime achievements of one of South Africa's most influential artists and cultural ambassadors.
In Los Angeles, BMW once again collaborates with Freeze to present Freeze Music. Since 2019, the joint initiative of both partners has brought together a large group of musicians at the intersection of music and art. The event's return to Los Angeles will be celebrated on February 29th at the Hammer Museum with a live performance by Sudan Archives.
