Collage artist Constantin Prozorov has joined forces with the design team at MINI in a collaboration that seeks to create a new digital-based visual language inspired by fashion and art for the automotive brand
Photography courtesy of MINI featuring Constantin Prozorov and Oliver Heilmer
They often say that the secret of innovation is the cross-pollination of disciplines – which British automotive manufacturer MINI knows a thing or two about.
From collaborations with London-based artist Lakwena to British label Paul Smith to iconic rock band Kiss and even Pokémon, with MINI ‘we have a certain degree of freedom to reinvent ourselves and develop our own personality,’ says Laura-Marie Kremser, spokesperson at MINI Design, over dinner at Mural Farmhouse in Munich to celebrate MINI’s upcoming new launch.
Feisty and fun, MINI might be rooted in heritage, but the automotive label has always had a reputation for its playful, boundary-pushing designs since the first Classic Minis were built in Oxford between 1959-1968. Today, MINI forms part of the BMW Group’s portfolio alongside luxury automobile manufacturer Rolls-Royce, BMW and BMW Motorrad.
Merging classic concepts with boundary-pushing innovation, MINI is now paving the way to a digital future, and the company’s latest collaboration, unveiled as part of IAA Mobility 2023 (5-8 September), sees the automotive firm drawing inspiration from the fashion and art industries by partnering up with Almaty-born, German-raised artist Constantin Prozorov.
Photography courtesy of MINI
Perhaps best known for his immersive, avant-garde collages, honed to perfection at publishing company Condé Nast and later linked with esteemed fashion labels like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Moncler, Prozorov blends diverse elements to create new hyperrealities.
‘I am someone who loves to dream and fantasise,’ he says. ‘Collage art has always fascinated me because it goes beyond our creativity and imagination. It is, in my view, a visual language that is universally understood and has the power to brings us even closer together.’
Prozorov’s work for MINI is the first time he has collaborated with an automotive brand. Over the course of a year, he worked with MINI’s design team, helmed by Oliver Heilmer, to devise three urban dream worlds, which he refers to as ‘an odyssey through the Miniverse’ – each reflecting the spirit of three MINI vehicles (the all-electric Aceman, Cooper and Countryman). The collages are composed of up to 200 levels and can be viewed both as a static image or an animated clip.
Photography courtesy of MINI featuring Oliver Heilmer
‘Constantin Prozorov’s artistic style offers an inspiring viewpoint on the design of the new MINI family,’ says Heilmer. ‘It is unique, playful and full of positive energy.’
The collages are interwoven with fantastical, stylistic elements: colourful rooftops, water-rich landscapes and details that only reveal themselves upon closer inspection like the Spike digital character rendered as an art toy. Drawing inspiration from an eclectic source of creatives – Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dalí, Leonora Carrington, Wes Anderson and more – much like MINI, Prozorov isn’t afraid to push boundaries.
‘With my work I want to encourage people to dream more,’ says Prozorov. ‘I want to remind people how great it can be to think like a child again, where the world seems so innocent and full of possibilities.’
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