BMW is official partner of Frieze Seoul. Inaugural edition of Frieze Music Seoul presented in partnership with BMW and "The Electric AI Canvas" to be showcased at the art fair

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From September 6 to 9, Frieze Seoul will open its doors at COEX in Gangnam, for the second edition of the internationally renowned art fair in Asia. The fair will feature more than 120 of the world’s leading galleries, with a strong core of local exhibitors showcasing art from across Asia. A major highlight of this year’s program is the inaugural edition of Frieze Music Seoul.

Munich/Seoul. From September 6 to 9, Frieze Seoul will open its doors at COEX in Gangnam, for the second edition of the internationally renowned art fair in Asia. The fair will feature more than 120 of the world’s leading galleries, with a strong core of local exhibitors showcasing art from across Asia. A major highlight of this year’s program is the inaugural edition of Frieze Music Seoul, presented in collaboration with BMW and featuring a live performance by acclaimed musician Colde. As one of Frieze’s long-term global partners since 2004, BMW will both provide the VIP car service as well as present "The Electric AI Canvas" exclusively for the fair at the BMW Lounge.

In celebration of their long-term collaboration, BMW partners with Frieze to present the inaugural edition of Frieze Music in Seoul. On Friday, September 8 at S-Factory in the Seongsu-dong district the celebrated musician Colde will be joined by special guests APRO, Khakii and DJ Conan from the artist’s label Wavy for a live performance. Colde is a South Korean singer-songwriter, praised for his unique blend of hip-hop and R&B. In 2019 and 2020 Colde was nominated at the Korean Hip-hop Awards and Korean Music Awards in two categories and was part of the lineup for the Grand Mint Festival 2020 at Olympic Park Seoul.

“Not only creating the most innovative premium automobile globally, the BMW Group has been a long-time patron of the culture and arts worldwide. At Frieze Seoul 2023, BMW presents a unique art experience to visitors with ‘The Electric AI Canvas’, which connects art and technology by bringing art into a new dimension,” says Sangyun Han, the Representative Director and President of BMW Group Korea.

On the occasion of Frieze Seoul 2023, BMW will proudly present “The Electric AI Canvas” at the BMW Lounge. The installation is inspired by the new BMW i5 and is a unique combination of art and technology that uses AI in a responsible manner to create an immersive on-site art experience. The 100% electric BMW i5 transforms into a dynamic canvas of distinct generative art and features works by contemporary artists Esther Mahlangu, Kohei Nawa, Eric N. Mack, Koo Jiyoon, Bin Woo Hyuk and now, for the very first time, Jung Soo Jung.

In collaboration with creative technologist Nathan Shipley (Goodby, Silverstein & Partners) and Gary Yeh (ArtDrunk), custom artificial intelligence-generated animations are crafted using AI models trained on a curated dataset of works from renowned contemporary artists. These AI models are built upon a foundational model trained from over 50,000 images spanning 900 years of art history. The AI generates entirely new abstract animations based on learned styles from classical and contemporary art, which are then projected onto the BMW i5. On Thursday, September 7 an exclusive Art Talk with curator Gary Yeh and contemporary artists Jung Soo Jung and Koo Jiyoon will take place at the BMW Lounge.

According to Gary Yeh, "This is an exciting moment to build on our previous art and AI collaboration, which we had always envisioned activating in person. Realizing this collaboration's full potential will create a unique opportunity for art fair visitors to experience digital art, a medium that can often feel disconnected from the physical world. At the forefront of contemporary art, the artists that we've brought together bring a variety of global perspectives and share in their unique explorations of materials and culture. As the animations evolve in front of your eyes, we hope to take you on a journey through their worlds and how they represent the fabric of our society. Past, present, and future."

For “The Electric AI Canvas”, Nvidia’s AI architecture StyleGAN is trained to evoke various artistic styles and then generate abstract evolving animations. After training a base model to represent art in general, StyleGAN is further trained on works from the participating contemporary artists. “We wanted to explore what happens when an AI image-generation model encounters works by specific artists; how do the results change when different parameters of the algorithm are modified and how can we use that to create animations that evoke the essential feeling of a particular artist’s work,” asks Nathan Shipley.  “We see experiments like this as part of a fascinating early conversation about ways that AI can be used in art-making.”

This human-machine art installation brings forth a distinct convergence of innovation and creativity. It continues BMW's engagement in crucial dialogues about technology and art in the AI era. Beyond visual artistry, "The Electric AI Canvas” stands as a testament to BMW's dedication to human-centred technology and sustainability, exploring the potential of AI as a creative tool.

To visit the BMW Lounge please note that entrance tickets are required:

The Electric AI Canvas. An installation inspired by the new BMW i5 a t Frieze Seoul 2023:  
September 6-9, 2023
BMW Lounge, Hall C
COEX, 513 Yeongdong-daero,
Gangnam-gu

Opening Hours
Wednesday, September 6 (invitation only): 1pm to 8pm
Thursday and Friday, September 7 - 8: 11am to 7:30pm
Saturday, September 9: 11am to 6pm

Art Talk with curator Gary Yeh and artists Jung Soo Jung & Koh Jiyoon at Frieze Seoul 2023.
Thursday, September 7, 2023: 4pm
BMW Lounge, Hall C
COEX, 513 Yeongdong-daero,
Gangnam-gu
Art Talk Media Accreditation