Infiniti to Reveal First Finalists of International Digital Art Competition

ROLLE, Switzerland, October 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• Works of six finalists from 'Inspired Performance' theme to make international debut.
• Over 30 pieces of art selected by jury of renowned influencers in sphere of design.
• Tour of exhibition to visit new Centres in Stockport, Leeds, Luxembourg City, and Marseille.
• Guests at opening of Infiniti Centres to vote for favourite artwork to crown theme winner.

Infiniti, the luxury performance automotive brand from Japan, will be unveiling the work of the six finalists from the opening 'Inspired Performance' theme of the international Infiniti Digital Art Competition at the forthcoming launch of Infiniti's 46th Centre in Europe on 13 October.  

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The new showroom in Stockport, near Manchester, is the fifth to open in the UK, and is the first stop in a three-month long tour of the finalists' gallery. During the remainder of the year, the exhibition is scheduled to visit some of the most culturally-revered destinations in Europe, namely Leeds (UK), Luxembourg City (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg), and Marseille (France), cities which will each host the unveiling of a new Infiniti retail outlet.

The six individual pieces, which are all making their international debut, take the form of beautifully crafted sculptures, computer-generated images, and vehicle projections. The creations have been personally selected by the 'Inspired Performance' theme jury of recognised influencers in the sphere of design from the top 32 submissions entered by artists from across the globe. These include the highly respected figures of Birgit Lohmann, Editor-in-Chief, and Co-Founder of the online art, architecture and design magazine designboom, Adrian Newey, Chief Technical Officer of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, and Yeoh Guan Hong, Co-Founder and Creative Director of the Shanghai-based design and media technology consultancy, Super Nature Design.

The artworks of the six finalists to be revealed are:

"Infiniti Passion"

The brainchild of Japanese artist Nukumi Shinji and NBBR, "Infiniti Passion" is composed of a series of projections on to an Infiniti model which focuses on the 'inner' dimension of the car in order to be able to see the potential of the marque.

"Value Added"

The curvaceous sculpture by Slovak designers Juraj Rattaj and Jan Ziska explores the idea of creating a parking space which projects the correct image of a luxury car such as an Infiniti, whilst adding value as a piece of art in a public place rather than merely being confined to the function of hosting a vehicle.

"Crystalline DNA"

Making his debut in the sphere of automotive-based art, Brano Hlavac from Slovakia has created a series of four visuals which look at the manufacturing and design of Infiniti's models utilising the elements of crystal, the power of shape and DNA. In his designs, he highlights the importance of creativity and the automaker making their own mark, putting to one side the act of selling cars.

"Highway of Light"

This is a digital animation conceived by Bob Trempe and Roman Torres of the USA to reflect the powerful and distinct "character lines" used in the design of every Infiniti model. The digital animation communicates the lines of Infiniti brand by combining a silhouette of a car and the moving light streaks of fast moving vehicles on a highway.

"Presence"

The piece designed by Sanchit Sawaria and Palash Singh looks at the importance of performance and a car which creates an experience for the user beyond driving. The art does not reveal the mechanics which made the visual possible, but is the result of the discreet presence of technology such as streaks of light generated by fast moving cars.

"Synthesised by Nature"

Inspired by light, nature, and geometry, the artwork created by Englishman Jackson Tayler, combines three half cubes and projections to create the journey of a streak of light through an autonomous and sophisticated world. The free-flowing movements of the beam, which guide the viewer through the artwork, incorporate elements of ballet, and reflect the power of an infiniti's engine and the elegance of the cars' curves.

Commenting on the unveiling on the inaugural tour of the Infiniti Digital Art Exhibition, Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Marketing Director of Infiniti Europe, and a member of the Inspired Performance theme jury, explains: "It is a privilege to be able to bring to life the creations of artists for the first time at the opening of our beautiful Infiniti Centres, which for some, is also an international debut for the individuals themselves.Each of the pieces displaysan exceptional level of talent and creativity which has added an exciting dimension to the 'Inspired Performance' philosophy of Infiniti. We would like to congratulate the artists who have reached this phase of the competition, and we wish them the best of luck in the final stage of this theme."

Guests to the next four opening events will be asked to vote on location for their favourite piece to crown the first theme winner of the contest who will receive a prize fund of €10,000 early next year.

The individual pieces may be also viewed on both the MSN lifestyle portal (http://www.reveal.uk.msn.com) and the automaker's European customer website (http://www.infiniti.eu) until the end of this year.

For further information on the Infiniti Digital Art Competition and to view terms and conditions, visit http://www.designboom.com/infiniti or http://www.infiniti.eu

About Infiniti

Infiniti comes from Japan. Its line-up of performance sedans, coupés, convertibles, SUVs and crossovers is now being launched across the globe through a dedicated network of Infiniti Centres or dealerships which share a commitment to individualised and exceptional customer service. For more information, see Infiniti.com

About Designboom

The world's first web-based art, architecture and design magazine, designboom publishes key contemporary issues and critiques of all aspects of art, architecture and design through the organisation of design exhibitions and collaboration with leading companies on the sponsorship of international design competitions. Designboom encourages a continuing dialogue between creative professionals, industry and society.

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