today and tomorrow

‘Parking For White Cars Only’ by Helmut Smits.

This is probably one of the weirdest art performances I have ever seen: Land Reform carousel.

Eight BMWs, the sponsor of the bb05, drive in a slow perfect circle on one of the lots of Skulpturenpark in Berlin. “This Land Is Your Land” plays on their radios. From outside, the song is heard as a melodic and muffled chorus. The circling cars create an image recalling a shiny auto display, a western wagon train, or an amusement carousel. Every few rounds the cars stop to pick-up and drop-off anyone who wants to go on its circular ride.

In Landreform, the banality of economic determinism drives in a circle around itself upon a ground which will soon be developed with luxury condos and office buildings. People are asked to join the ride. As sung by Guthrie, the land of Skulpturenpark is made for you and me.

found at datenform

The BMW GINA Light Visionary Model is quite a revolutionary car study. GINA stands for “Geometry and Functions in ‘N’ Adaptations”.  The outer skin is a textile fabric stretched over a structure of metal wires, some parts are moveable so you can change the appearance of the car. The headlines can be hidden or revealed, but I guess that the doors show it off the skins feature the best. As always a video is the best way to see and understand this, so watch it.
You can find more images here.

play > smart is a small website to promote the smart in Japan. You can customize your own car and the drive it in simple game. You can even printout a paper model of your design. The game itself is quite simple, you just have to follow the numbers. In the end you’ll get a drawing, almost like those GPS ones. Worth checking out.

Sorry this will probably be only interesting for people who speak dutch or like rap. This a new advertising campaign by Euro RSCG Amsterdam for the Citroën Berlingo: the Berlingo Trio. Finally a refreshing ad for a car and it’s even a testimonial!

When it comes to cars, Lamborghini is just my kind of machine, design wise. I would rather drive a Maserati, they don’t have that ‘in your face’ attitude. So this is the new official TV commercial for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4. Of course the shots are stylish, black and white most of the time, some drifting …
But what the f#*? did they think when they decided on the features they wanted to show off? The ‘Phone Number Collecting Set’? Or even better ‘Get Into All Clubs Function’? Apparently they target butt ugly rich kids.

Photography by Philippe Jarrigeon.

Damn, my soapbox cars didn’t look like this Bentley, mine weren’t even electric powered. Back then gravity did the job, but this one will race in the “Greenpower” series. It was build by a team of youngsters with the help of some professionals of course. In the current Bentley line-up, the smallest engine has a 5998cc capacity … just trying to be ‘green’ huh.
More info here.

Normally I’m more into Italian car design … but this BMW M1 Hommage just look like a mean lean racing machine. BMW presented this study last weekend the Concorso d’Eleganza at Villa d’Este to celebrate the thirtieth birthday of the BMW M1, a true classic. Actually, they only did the body design, it doesn’t have an interior or even a motor. If you want to see more angles and details, check you this gallery.

This is the ‘Slow Car’ by Jurgen Bey, it is part of the Vitra Editions 2007. The first Vitra Edition was in 1987, it was a laboratory that provides architects and designers with the freedom to create experimental furniture objects and interior installations. Twenty years later, the second Edition came out. The ‘Slow Car’ is part of a series of rethought infrastructures that speculate about the way we make places work.
The 2007 Edition is now on display in Milan.
By the way, Vitra finally has a new website, their old website was a living fossil.
photo by designboom