Color one for Mini is an installation done by the Dutch duo Scholten & Baijings
placed in one of Milan's beautifulest buildings - Statale University. At first when we think of an exhibition done for a car company such as BMW it can seem to be something very commercial but surprisingly it was on of the most inspiring installations I have seen during that week. So what Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings were trying to do (and in which they succeeded completely) was to re imagine Mini One both conceptually and literally.
placed in one of Milan's beautifulest buildings - Statale University. At first when we think of an exhibition done for a car company such as BMW it can seem to be something very commercial but surprisingly it was on of the most inspiring installations I have seen during that week. So what Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings were trying to do (and in which they succeeded completely) was to re imagine Mini One both conceptually and literally.
Under a transparent tent in one of the universities courtyards (this also is a great idea of presenting the exhibition in daylight without any artificial lighting!) we can sink into another world.
The installation itself consists of a Mini One model, not the actual one but reinterpreted by the designers and car parts that are spread out on the ground and which are the main focus of the whole exhibition. As well as the Mini One model the parts are not the ones used in production but they are Scholten and Baijings rethink of car components.
When the designers were invited to create this new approach for Mini One they saw their inspiration in a concept car presented in one of BMW studio's. And that is how the idea was born - they decided to create a conceptual concept car. They described their method of work as if "peeling the car like an onion" to understand it's various functions and exploring the way it was built. This process finally gave them an exact idea on what car elements to focus on.
In glass covered tables a miniature of the installation is presented as well as a sort of a collage made of various pieces of materials, fabrics, pictures, sketches and photographs that create a type of mood board in order to inspire. The colors are so refined and subtle as for Scholten and Baijings are known for their eye for color and textile. Apart from the whole idea which is very interesting the aesthetic aspect of this exhibition is without any doubt beautiful. I loved absolutely loved it!
