This year’s Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG involvement in the 6th St. Moritz Art Masters (SAM), which will be held from 23 August to 1 September 2013 in St. Moritz, Switzerland and the surrounding Oberengadin region, is devoted entirely to China.
With an exhibition of the works of Chinese artist Fang Lijun forming part of the “Walk of Art”, the Stuttgart-based premium brand is paying tribute to the important role played by art from the Middle Kingdom. Young female Chinese artist Li Li will also be setting the scene for a very special artistic highlight during the event. In celebration of the eleven-millionth fan of the Mercedes-Benz Facebook page, she is creating an exclusive painting which she will complete live and present to the public on 31 August during the Mercedes-Benz Cars Night. Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG will also be on hand with the very latest models as the mobility partners of the renowned art event, offering an exclusive shuttle and test drive service for guests from around the globe.
“China is an important country with enormous potential – and not just in economic terms. We are therefore proud to be able to showcase the work of two of China’s acclaimed contemporary artists, namely Fang Lijun and Li Li, here in St. Moritz”, explains Andreas von Wallfeld, Head of Shows, Exhibitions & Events, Mercedes-Benz Cars. “In this way we aim to help promote awareness of the Middle Kingdom’s creative output among an even wider audience.”
Mercedes-Benz presents the Chinese artist Fang Lijun
In the Madonna Saal of the Palace Hotel St. Moritz, Mercedes-Benz is presenting nine large-format woodcuts from Chinese artist Fang Lijun which were produced between 1996 and 2001. Born in the Chinese city of Handan, Hebei province, in 1963, Fang Lijun works with a wide range of reference material: photographs, snapshots, pictures from film and advertising as well as motifs which are based on Chinese folk art and poster propaganda from the Cultural Revolution, as well as individual photo collections. The realistic human figure in space has been his work’s hallmark since the late 1980s. Contorted and de-individualised in the masses, the figures in Lijun’s images transform into ornamental structures. His bald, flesh-coloured male figures have become his trademark. Furthermore, the absence of colour in his black-and-white work coupled with the close link with the photographic reference are characteristic of his work.
Since the early 1990s Fang Lijun, together with fellow artist Liu Wei, has been exhibiting his work, initially as part of privately arranged viewings. In 1992 the Beijing Art Museum presented works from both artists for the first time. In 1995 Fang hosted exhibitions in galleries in France and the Netherlands. Since 1996 museums worldwide have been showing his works – including the Beijing Art Museum in 1992, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne in 1995, the Japan Foundation Forum in Tokyo in 1996, the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1998 and the Singapore Art Museum in 2001. Fang Lijun was represented at the Biennale in Venice in 1993 and 1999. The artist lives and works in Beijing.
A special artistic highlight for eleven million Facebook fans
The culmination of the St. Moritz Art Masters will see the Stuttgart-based premium brand invite visitors to the Mercedes-Benz Cars Night in the “Dracula” nightclub on 31 August, under the motto “China”. Once there the international art public can expect to witness an event of a very special nature. Female Chinese artist Li Li will complete her painting which she has created in celebration of the eleven-millionth Mercedes-Benz Facebook fan. It is themed around the Mercedes-Benz brand and its flagship vehicle, the new S-Class. With this piece, Li Li – who was born in Chongqing in China in 1982 – is continuing the series entitled “Mercedes-Benz Facebook Artworks”. These works from contemporary and avant-garde artists such as CONFETTISYSTEM, Olaf Hajek und Anssi Mättää, have already paid tribute to the million mark being surpassed on ten previous occasions on the social networking site Facebook. The series represents a steadily growing gallery of modern art, while at the same time reflecting on a global scale the international enthusiasm which exists for the Mercedes-Benz brand and its vehicles.
Broad brand presence and exclusive driving experiences
Throughout the duration of SAM, the Mercedes-Benz Art Lounge offers event visitors a striking meeting point in the heart of St. Moritz – including the official information counter of the St. Moritz Art Masters and a display of exclusive Mercedes-Benz Style furniture. The Lounge also serves as the event venue for all Artist Talks and as the starting point for guided art tours.
In addition to art, Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG will also be present in St. Moritz with a range of their latest vehicles. True to its brand promise “Driving Performance”, the performance brand AMG will be offering test drives through the Engadin alpine region. The starting point will be the Mercedes-AMG Lounge in the car park of the Hotel Schweizerhof.
As in the previous year, practical smart ebikes will once again be available for the “Walk of Art”. The presence is rounded off by an exclusive shuttle service for VIP guests to the individual art events.
Source: Mercedes-Benz