Bojan Vrbnjak
Art and the car they have a long tradition at BMW. From year 1975 are many renowned artists, among them Andy Warhol in Jeff Koons, designed by the so-called "Art Car". It was in 1991 Esther Mahlangu – the first woman and the first African artist – conceived 12. BMW Art Car on the basis of BMW 525i.
BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA is a reminder of that, a kind of bridge from the series 5 E34 to the latest generation. The vehicle combines color-changing technology developed by BMW with an artistic language a South African artist. Design piece equipped with electrically animated film segments, embodies the latest development stage of technology changing colors for vehicle surfaces, created in cooperation with the company E Ink.
BMW he believes that the distinctive colors and geometric patterns are now 88 years old Mahlangu ideal for transferring innovative flow technology to model i5. The versatility of electrophoretic color changes changes completely electric limousine into a dynamic work of art. "It fascinates me to see how modern technology expands my art and makes it accessible to a whole new audience,”He says Esther Mahlangu.
On the vehicle BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, which was named after the first son Esther Mahlangu, the animated film segments v of two lanes they extend over the roof, bonnet and rear of the vehicle and over the sides. Like an e-book reader, it contains every movie E Ink several millions microcapsules. Colored particles in them can with electric voltage change their structure and arrangement. Thus, colors and patterns are characteristic of art Esther Mahlangu, presented in constantly changing compositions.
To be able to complex ornaments shown in real detail, is BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA equipped with 1.349 movie segments, each of which you can manage individually. Laser cutting process used for foil cutting, and the electronic control design were developed together with a partner E Ink. Adaptation to curved surfaces and programmed animations were developed in-house BMW Group.
In general, technology changing colors develops rapidly. Years 2022 presented BMW iX Flow s tehnologijo E Ink, which changed white and black colors with a button, the first multi-colored version followed a year later. On 240 film segments vehicles BMW i Vision Dee it was possible to show up to 32 colors. The latest stage of development allows for even more colors and patterns. At the same time, the foil segments are more robust, which facilitates possible future series production. But BMW i5 Flow NOSTOKANA for now, it remains a unique specimen.
