A renowned Emirati artist’s sculpture is to provide the inspiration for a bespoke Rolls-Royce car.

Mohammed Kazem will create a metal sculpture which will be presented in late 2016 alongside a bespoke Wraith inspired by the work of art. 

He joins artists from around the world who have been commissioned by the British marque to create works of art and becomes the first Emirati to be featured in the Rolls-Royce Art Programme.

Both the sculpture and the car are expected to demonstrate Kazem’s particular interest in using latitude and longitude coordinates in his work. His fascination with collecting and documenting information about seemingly unimportant objects, by photographing them and mapping their coordinates, will be demonstrated in both works. In his practice, he uses GPS as a tool for drawing shapes and recording an item’s location. 

Rolls-Royce will support Kazem, who has previously worked in the mediums of video, performance and installation, in producing a metal-based sculptural work for the first time. 

Having previously visited Goodwood, the home of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Kazem mapped out the localities of craftspeople who worked on the car, and used these data points as a recurring motif in both designs. 

The sculpture, which will be made of metal, will comprise a stack of these data points melted together to form an abstract shape. The roof lining of the accompanying motor car will include a Bespoke starlight headliner that will display the same coordinates as the sculpture, linking the two pieces through this unique artistic feature. 

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Chief Executive Officer Torsten Müller-Ötvös: “The creation of a bespoke Rolls-Royce Wraith by artist Mohammed Kazem marks an exciting moment for our marque. To witness an artist’s interpretation of the bespoke capabilities and creative freedom afforded to our customers will no doubt provide an inspiring interpretation of true luxury”.

Kazem said: “It gives me great pride to be the first ever Emirati artist selected by such a historic and iconic brand as Rolls-Royce to be a part of their Art Programme. As an artist a big part of my work is finding the right inspiration that can develop into an artistic expression, and Rolls-Royce is a brand that is full of inspiration from its rich heritage to the bespoke craftsmanship throughout its build process. We are looking forward to creating something truly memorable and unique.”

Dubai-based Kazem is acknowledged as one of the 'Five', an informal group of Emirati artists at the forefront of conceptual and interdisciplinary art practice. Kazem often works on simultaneous projects over extended periods of time, observing the transformations of his surroundings and the effects of time. Selected to represent the UAE in 2013’s Venice Biennale, the artist presented an immersive video and GPS installation of his series Directions, in which the viewer stood at the centre of a room surrounded by a moving projection of the sea. 

In addition to the 2013 Venice Biennale, Kazem’s work has been featured at venues around the world, including several Sharjah Biennials, the Singapore Biennial (2006), the Havana Biennial (2000), the Dhaka Biennial (2002), and at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, in the major survey, Arab Express (2012).

Kazem’s works are held in the collections of the British Museum, London; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Guggenheim Abu Dhabi; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Doha; Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, Beijing; and Barjeel Art Foundation, Sharjah. 

Rolls-Royce’s Art Programme was founded in celebration of the marque’s commitment to creating unique and aesthetically powerful motor cars, which transcend the world of conveyance to become works of art themselves.

The programme comprises new works commissioned in situ, partnerships with leading organisations, art talks with emerging and established artists, art drives, art walks and art receptions around the world. It fosters creativity and enables artists to realise new projects and to explore new areas of their practice. 

To date, Rolls-Royce has worked with leading international artists and key figures from the contemporary art world including Isaac Julien, Ana Maria Tavares, Morgan Wong, Carlos Rolón/Dzine, Angela Bulloch, Ugo Rondinone, Michael Zavros, Regina Silveira, and Will Cotton.