Munich/London. Superblue and BMW i present
“No One is an Island”, a collaboration between the
art group Random International and choreographer Wayne McGregor and
his company. On the occasion of Frieze London, the performance will be
shown publicly from October 13 to 16 daily between 3:00 and 7:00pm at
Park Village Studios.
Random International, Studio Wayne McGregor, Superblue and BMW i
share a passion for pushing boundaries and exploring new territories.
All are moved by similar questions about how future generations will
interact with automated and digitised processes and environments
whilst embracing reduction and sustainability. For this purpose, they
are collaborating on a special project: “No One is an Island”.
Conceptualised as a “Gesamtkunstwerk”, “No One is an Island” is
developed in an ongoing dialogue and exchange between artists and partners.
“No One is an Island” is fuelled by science and explores electrified
movement steered by advanced algorithms. It is a future-oriented
reflection on how the human mind empathises with artificial
intelligence and automated processes. The performance comprises
sculptural, performative, and musical aspects.
The centrepiece is a sculpture by Random
International that experiments with the minimal amount of
information that is actually necessary for an animated form to be
recognised as human; and the fundamental impact created by subtle
changes within that information. As it transitions from robot to human
likeness, dancers from Company Wayne McGregor
interact with the sculpture in a live, kinetic performance, further
exploring the relationship between humans and technology and our
capacity to empathise with a machine. The dancer’s interventions
scored by Chihei Hatakeyama add a performative
dimension to the sculpture, re-translating and celebrating the
connection between human and mechanical movement.
A second artwork by Random International, part of the “Body/Light”
series, was inspired by Picasso’s light drawings and premiered by Arts
Brookfield, BMW and Superblue during Frieze New York. “Body/Light”
allows visitors in London to create their own lines of light,
capturing movement and electricity visually. In this way, elements
from the core of BMW i, which stands for sustainable, future-oriented
and forward-looking mobility, are recreated.
“Catalysed by the partnership with BMW i and the collaboration with
Studio Wayne McGregor, we have elevated our ongoing ‘Fifteen Points’
series of sculptures to a whole new level. Through the addition of
both a score by Chihei Hatakeyama and dedicated choreography by Wayne
McGregor, we are able to explore in much more detail the as-of-yet
unknown territories of ’empathy with machines’. The work is part of a
wider reflection on our human need to relate to our surroundings; how
does such a need to connect play out in light of an increasing
automation and digitisation of our environment? Will our willingness
to engage with unknown systems leave us more vulnerable? We are much
looking forward to presenting the work in a series of live
performances in 2021,” says Hannes Koch, one of the
founders and directors of Random International about the collaboration.
“What I find inspiring about the partnership with Random
International, Superblue, BMW i and myself is that we all come
together from different knowledge sets, but convene in areas of
shared interest,” says Wayne McGregor. “We are all
fascinated by the potential of the human body, its relationship with
and to technology but most importantly our desire to generate
empathetic connections between people. This is a dialogue of
inter-connectedness, exploration, and surprise. We have no
pre-determined road map – instead, we feed from one another’s
expertise and ideas to push ourselves towards new horizons.”
Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, Co-Founder and CEO of
Superblue says, “Creating new platforms and opportunities for
experiential artists to collaborate is core to Superblue’s mission, so
we are delighted to partner on this project and creative dialogue
between Random International, Studio Wayne McGregor, and BMW i. ‘No
One is an Island’ provokes questions about the dynamics between
technology and humanity that are critical to deepening our
understanding of our relationship to the world and each other.”
“We believe that working together with great artists like Random
International, represented by Superblue, and Studio Wayne McGregor is
an inspiring and enriching experience for all parties involved.
Speaking of BMW i, the constant exchange with creatives is essential.
And just as BMW i embodies innovation, ‘No One is an Island’
synergises future and present, technology and humanity,” says
Stefan Ponikva, Vice President BMW Brand Experience.
Public Days:
October 13 to 16, 2021
Daily performance at 3.00pm, 3.30pm,
4.00pm, 4.30pm, 5.30pm, 6.00pm and 6.30pm.
Park Village Studios
1 Park Village E,
London NW1 7PX
To visit the performance, it’s necessary to register here.
(https://emt.bmw-arts-design.com/exhibition-random-international?partner=mSSgv4ANIz)
For further questions please contact:
BMW Group Cultural Engagement
Prof. Dr Thomas
Girst
BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs
Head of
Cultural Engagement
Telephone: +49-89-382-24753
Email: Thomas.Girst@bmwgroup.com
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email:
presse@bmw.de
Random International
Jen Barnes
Producer
and Commissions Manager
Random International
136 Hermitage
Road
London N4 1NL
Telephone: + 44 20 8673 5497
Email:
jen@random-international.com
www.random-international.com
Studio Wayne McGregor
Gillian
McVey
Director of Communications
Email: g@gillianmcvey.com and v@gillianmcvey.com
www.waynemcgregor.com
Superblue
Sarah McNaughton
Resnicow and
Associates
Telephone: +1 212 671 5161
Email: superblue@resnicow.com