Prototype: Art and the Transition between Creativity and Standardization -- The Mercedes-Benz Art Collection

:

Salomé Chatriot, FLUID LANDSCAPES, 2021-2024. HD video (video still). Courtesy of the artist. In Salomé Chatriot's artworks, machine and organic qualities merge into (bodily) landscapes. Through sculpture, painting, and a rendering program that translates the artist’s breathing into images, she expands the exploration of technology to include the aspects of gender, identity, and physicality. The use of this photo is only permitted in connection with editorial coverage of the exhibition "PROTOTYPE” from January 25 to March 22, 2025 at Studio Odeonsplatz by

 Under the title “PROTOTYPE – An exhibition of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection at Studio Odeonsplatz”, the art collection of Mercedes-Benz will present the works of six international contemporary artists from 25 January to 22 March, 2025, who approach the phenomenon of the prototype and its potential for innovation in diverse ways. Inspired by the history of automotive design, contemporary media, and digital culture, their artworks merge the physical and digital realms. The pieces range from an experimental video game to blockchain-based integrations and visual compositions based on human breath. The exhibition was developed by the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection and external curator Christopher Dake-Outhet.

The Phenomenon “Prototype” – Between Vision and Standardization

Prototypes navigate the tension between creative vision and commercial standardization. They capture the moments before production transforms forward-thinking ideas into a product, embodying a belief in the future that is tested by market demands and the feasibility of series production. It is precisely in this space of possibilities where the potential of prototypes lies.

The prototype as a leitmotif builds a bridge between art and the automobile in the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection exhibition – two areas where prototypical thinking is of utmost relevance. With prototypes such as the Mercedes-Benz concept vehicles, some of which are displayed as scale models at Studio Odeonsplatz, Mercedes-Benz provides an insight into the versatility of technological visions. Artists, in turn, often embody the essence of the prototype by challenging traditional production methods and creating works that resist standardization. In doing so, they go beyond conventional consensus and the idea of practicality. Accordingly, the presentation at Studio Odeonsplatz invites the audience to understand the artworks as prototypes.

Artists

The “Temporal Secessionism” series by Paul Seidler questions alternative systems of time measurement. In „Timezone 5“, he focusses on the “production time” of industrial manufacturing processes which is decisive for many infrastructures and runs in parallel to coordinated universal time (UTC). In “Advanced Vehicle Transformation”, Simon Denny uses machine-assisted techniques and blockchain-based technology to create hybrid paintings. These painterly prototypes explore technological progress through motifs inspired by Mercedes-Benz Concept Cars and historical art movements. With an accompanying website that integrates the NFT component of the work, Denny examines unique forms of 'movement' by engaging with the foundational elements of the blockchain.

In “Key Exchange”, Sarah Friend combines methods of digital information security with automotive access control by incorporating a hardware wallet for cryptocurrencies into a Mercedes-Benz Smart Key. In doing so, she creates a prototype that integrates options for access denial and enablement within a single object. “Feral Metaverse” by Theo Triantafyllidis presents an experiment disguised as a multiplayer game that deliberately dispenses with technological 'advances'. Without clear goals or instructions, it fosters new forms of communication and togetherness in a gaming context.

In Salomé Chatriot's artworks, machine and organic qualities merge into bodily landscapes. Through sculpture, painting, and a rendering program that translates the artist’s breathing into images, she expands the exploration of technology to include the aspects of gender, identity, and physicality. In "Maschine", Harm van den Dorpel creates blockchain-based art that is constantly evolving. The NFT collection was created in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz NXT and is inspired by the so-called wagon wheel effect. Spoked wheels appear to rotate in contradiction to their actual speed and direction.