BMW has introduced the i5 Flow NOSTOKANA, marking its 12th art car, and it's quite a unique and funky creation. This new-age, tech-filled remake pays tribute to South African artist Esther Mahlangu, who initially painted an E34 525i back in 1991. Now, on the i5, Mahlangu's distinctive colors and geometric patterns adorn 1,349 sections of E Ink film, creating electronic animations.
BMW has been working on this color-changing technology for a while, first showcasing it in the iX Flow in 2022, where the car could switch between white and black with the push of a button. Now, this technology, somewhat akin to that found in an e-book reader, has evolved to allow color changes when an electric current is applied. The panels are also more robust now, potentially easing future series production, according to BMW.
Esther Mahlangu, an 88-year-old artist, finds it fascinating how modern technology can expand her art and make it accessible to a completely new audience. The i5's design showcases Mahlangu's signature style in a captivating and electronically animated display, bringing a blend of art and technology to the automotive world.
Each section of film on the car can be individually controlled, enabling a dynamic showcase of animations. Accompanying this visual experience is a new soundtrack composed by Renzo Vitale, BMW’s creative director for sound. Vitale ingeniously mixed Mahlangu’s voice, the sound of her feather paintbrushes, noises from pencils in the BMW design studio, and sounds produced by the i5’s touchscreen.
The harmonious blend of visual and auditory elements in the i5 Flow NOSTOKANA is a testament to the intersection of art and technology. However, while appreciating the innovation, there's a hope that the car won't unexpectedly instruct art enthusiasts and gallery visitors to focus on the road ahead. This whimsical creation by BMW stands as a vibrant symbol of artistic collaboration and technological advancement in the automotive realm, bringing Mahlangu's timeless art to a new dimension.