The six-month-long exhibition, curated by renowned British
architect Norman Foster, celebrates the artistic dimension of the
automobile, linking it to the parallel worlds of painting,
sculpture, architecture, photography and film. The exhibition
features iconic automobiles hand-picked from private collections
and public institutions, as well as architecture and artworks
connected to speed and movement.
Demian Horst, Head of Umeå Institute of Design, is in Bilbao to
partake during the opening weekend.
"We are thrilled to be invited as a contributor to this rather
unique show hosted at the Guggenheim Museum. Being asked to share
an important global stage alongside peers from a selected group of
international universities in the fields of architecture and design
clearly shows that we're doing something right."
The four UID alumni showcasing their grad projects at the
exhibition have been given a rare opportunity to inform and inspire
with their visions of future mobility through the lens of
sustainable design. The UID exhibition space is entitled
"Speculative Mobility" with the four projects ranging from advanced
automobiles to airborne and marine transportation solutions. The
strategic, speculative, and conceptual nature of these projects aim
to trigger public discussion about what kinds of futures (and
mobility) our society would wish to have.
Lars Welten, from the Netherlands, graduated last year with a
project exploring what it might look like if climate change would
compel the vulnerable coastal regions in his home country to
transition into life on water.
"Having grown up in The Netherlands, a country with rich history
in water management, I was inspired to frame my degree project
around the fact that sea level is rising and by the end of this
century will result in uninhabitable areas. The main goal of my
degree project is to emit a positive answer to climate change; to
show that instead of seeing the water as a problem it can also be
seen as a solution."
The exhibition is spread over ten spaces in the museum. UID
alumni join the final of the seven galleries, Future, which is
devoted to works by a young generation of students who were invited
to imagine what mobility may be like at the end of this century.
The proposals on display reflect collaborations between students
and industry partners, designers, artists, architects, through a
variety of models, films, renderings, drawings and manifestos.
UID student projects at the Guggenheim Bilbao
Lars
Welten - Dutch Water Ways
What will future transportation look like in
vulnerable coastal regions threatened by climate change? For
his grad project, Lars Welten looked ahead to the year 2086 in
his native Netherlands. The result, an autonomous water taxi with
futuristic methods of propulsion. Lars proposes not only the design
of a radically different and extremely safe and self-driving water
taxi, but also a clear picture of the advanced floating society and
infrastructure that enables its existence.
Max
Troicher - Exterior Interactions
Max
Troicher developed a design concept in collaboration
with BMW exploring how cars can enhance human senses in a
new and emotional way. The final result is a compact autonomous
electric vehicle, using multiple ways of communicating with its
surrounding. Light, sound and haptic feedback are combined in
countless situations to create unique experiences on the vehicle's
exterior.
Wanyi
Du - Geely Sooyun
What might mobility look
like in our vertical megacities 40 years from now? For her grad
project, Wanyi Du created a design vision for an ecological air
taxi system in Shanghai in the year 2060. The service is inspired
by the needs of future business tourists in megacities like
Shanghai. Geely Sooyun brings passengers a pleasant feeling by
providing a reliable, seamless and efficient transportation service
across the future vertical city.
David
Wolter - Terra Nova
How
will we reforest the future barren lands in the wake of climate
change? For his grad project, David Wolter explored how to
combat desertification in the year 2086 by developing mobility
strategies for large-scale reforestation efforts with the help of
cutting-edge technologies. His final design concept, 'Terra Nova',
is a lighter-than-air propelled solution that allows long-term
mobility in barren areas with minimal impact to the operational
environment.
For more information, please contact:
Jens Persson, Communications Officer, Umeå Institute of Design,
Umeå University
Phone: +4690 786 50 63
E-post: jens.persson@umu.se
