Rolls-Royce Motor Cars PressClub · Article.
MUSE, ROLLS-ROYCE ART PROGRAMME UNVEILS WINNING ARTWORKS INSPIRED BY THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY
05.10.2022 Press Release
Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme celebrates the global debut of the artworks created by the winners of the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge. These three unique pieces are being exhibited at Cromwell Place, London, from 5-8 October 2022, before embarking on an international tour.
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- Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme, unveils artworks created by winners of the inaugural Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge – a biennial initiative celebrating the symbol of Rolls‑Royce
- Three winners, selected by an expert jury, have created textile artworks inspired by Rolls-Royce and the Spirit of Ecstasy figurine
- Works by Bi Rongrong, Ghizlane Sahli and Scarlett Yang are on show in an exhibition at Cromwell Place, London from 5-8 October 2022, before proceeding on a global tour
"The Spirit of Ecstasy continues to be our muse for the
ongoing pursuit of excellence. She embodies what we as the House of
Rolls-Royce stand for: strive for perfection, attention to detail
and timeless beauty. It is fascinating to see our icon being
transformed into these three very unique expressions, pushing
technical and conceptual boundaries. I would like to thank Bi
Rongrong, Ghizlane Sahli and Scarlett Yang for their extraordinary
masterpieces celebrating a different dimension of our iconic
figurine, manifesting the exciting future of textile design.”
Anders Warming,
Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Muse,the Rolls-Royce Art Programme celebrates the
global debut of the artworks created by the winners of the Spirit of
Ecstasy Challenge. These three unique pieces are being exhibited at
Cromwell Place, London, from 5-8 October 2022, before embarking on an
international tour.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge is a new biennial initiative
that invites emerging artists from a range of disciplines to create
artworks inspired the Rolls-Royce icon – the beautiful figurine that
has adorned the bonnet of every motor car created by the marque since
1911. Each edition of the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge will focus on a
different medium, challenging participants to push technical and
conceptual boundaries. The inaugural 2022 edition explores the
potential of textiles, inviting artists to create textile-based artwork.
The winners – Bi Rongrong, Ghizlane Sahli and Scarlett Yang –
developed three unique interpretations of the Rolls-Royce symbol. As
part of the creative process, the artists met Rolls-Royce’s master
craftspeople to exchange experiences before bringing their ideas and
innovative creations to life.
BI RONGRONG
– STITCHED URBAN SKIN
Stitched Urban Skin (2022) is inspired by the multi-layered
landscape of cities and their mesmerising reflections on the glossy
surface of the Spirit of Ecstasy. Old and new are woven together: the
artwork consists of three suspended layers of two-dimensional sheets
made from specially treated metal, an animated LED light sheet and a
Perspex sheet incorporating a material created using a traditional
Chinese crochet technique. The use of metal in the work is inspired by
the Rolls-Royce motor car surface and pays homage to the exceptional
craftsmanship at the Home of Rolls-Royce. The piece draws on Bi’s
encyclopaedic archive of urban imagery, utilising both ancient
craftsmanship and innovative technologies, interlacing different
locations and histories.
“This piece wasn’t inspired by a singular thing, it’s a blend of
patterns connected to cities and nature – the way they grow is very
similar. People see only what’s on the surface – the architecture
and the trees – but underneath are hidden interwinding roots”, said
Bi. She continued: “The Rolls-Royce team gave me full artistic
freedom, encouraging me to try new things and be truly brave. I
experimented and changed the whole piece many times, which
eventually made it even more captivating. This experience has
presented me with new possibilities and opened up a different
perspective which I will bring into my future work”.
GHIZLANE SAHLI
– NISSA'S RINA (WOMAN'S SONG)
Resembling two triumphant wings about to take flight,
Sahli’s artwork Nissa’s Rina
(Woman’s Song) (2022) is a joyous celebration of femininity
and freedom. The artwork explores the beauty of metamorphose and is
composed almost entirely of salvaged materials: plastic bottles,
plastic tubes, caps, covered with white silk and gold threadpurchased
from the artisans in Marrakech’s Medina and copper embellished with
gold leaf. For Nissa’s Rina
(Woman’s Song), Sahli adopts her signature technique of
wrapping cut bottles in thread, the“Alveoli, and building up each
element into wing-like structures evocative of the Spirit of Ecstasy.
“The Spirit of Ecstasy – that elegant, free woman who crowns the
most prestigious car in the world. A symbol of power, she opens her
wings to take flight, and rules the world. What a synchronicity for
me! She embodies everything that I would like to express in my life
today”, – said Sahli. “Nissa’s Rina (Woman’s song), aims to express
the elegance, the femininity, and the freedom of the Spirit of Ecstasy”.
SCARLETT YANG
– TRANSIENT MATERIALITY
(2022)
Scarlett Yang’s Transient Materiality (2022)
is ahybrid work that consists of a physical and digital piece. The
1-metre-high sculpture is made of intertwining ribbons of synthetic
biopolymer produced with liquid particles collected from the ocean and
bound with algae photosynthetic organisms. The sculpture’s form,
surface and colour all reflect the natural world: its unique texture
was inspired the subtle intricacy of animal skin patterns and the
structural resilience of translucent dragonfly wings. Made by pouring
the liquid bio-polymer into a 3D-fabricated mould, while the ribbons’
green and purple hues were created through experiments with spirulina
and other natural components.
Suspended in the air, the piece mesmerizes with its shimmering,
iridescent qualities – an ethereal expression of elegance, reminiscent
of the flying gown of the Spirit of Ecstasy. The accompanying digital
element is a video documentation of the creative process as well as
digital renderings of the sculpture, set to a futuristic soundscape.
“My work consists in exploring the physical properties that nature
gracefully offers and enhancing them through a conscious and
circular use of technology. The piece ‘Transient Materiality’ is
ultimately meant to embellish the human body whilst serving a truly
positive approach for the future of design”, commented Scarlett Yang.
The artists, invited to create their proposals for the
Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge, were nominated by an international expert
committee. Their submissions were reviewed by a renowned jury
consisting of Anders Warming, Director of Design, Rolls-Royce Motor
Cars; Yoon Ahn, Creative Director of AMBUSH® and Director of Jewellery
at Dior Men; Tim Marlow, Chief Executive and Director at the Design
Museum, London; and Sumayya Vally, Founder and Principal at
Counterspace Studio, Johannesburg. In April 2022 Muse announced the
three winners who were chosen to bring their concept to life with
support from Rolls-Royce.
The Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge is the second commissioning
initiative of Muse. While the Dream Commission supports artists
working with moving-image art, the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge
celebrates the endless creativity within the world of materials and
craftsmanship. Every two years, the Challenge will be repeated, each
time exploring the limitless possibilities of a different medium key
to Rolls-Royce craftsmanship, with the Spirit of Ecstasy serving as a
point of inspiration.
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@rollsroycemuse.