BMW & alex israel exhibit your memories for art basel miami beach

remembr: alex israel’s memory machine for bmw

At Art Basel Miami Beach 2023, BMW and LA artist Alex Israel invite visitors to explore their own intimate memories and exhibit them for all to see. The artwork is called REMEMBR and comprises an array of seven screens, each taking the shape of Israel’s iconic profile. The screens backdrop the 100% electric BMW i5, which helped to inspire his concept. Here’s how it works: a visitor downloads the REMEMBR app, which makes use of artificial intelligence to curate a selection of random images from the entirety of their camera roll. Of course any inappropriate images, hidden photos, and screenshots are filtered out. This short montage is choreographed alongside a toe-tapping beat and played on full view for all to see. It’s at once a heartwarming walk down a lane of forgotten memories, and an anxiety-inducing two minutes of vulnerability.

Although it may feel like it, it’s not quite the whole world peering into your personal memories — the installation can be found in the Collectors’ Lounge, and will be on view during the fair’s run from December 8th — 10th, 2023. Find designboom’s guide to Miami Art Week 2023 to plan the rest of your Miami weekend here!

image © designboom

at art basel miami beach, your memories become art

Alex Israel conceptualizes the installation with BMW as a ‘memory machine’ for visitors to Art Basel Miami Beach 2023. REMEMBR is truly participatory, as viewer’s own, personalized videos can only be viewed on the seven screens at the Collectors’ Lounge. It’s an exhilarating experience as each volunteer can never be sure which images from their camera roll will flash by. Strangers watching will observe your old friends, world travels, selfies — moments of your life from the good times to the bad. What’s more, the AI element can detect themes so memories might be thematically grouped. Different sunsets, ski days, or aesthetic meals you’ve captured throughout your life will flash side-by-side. It’s an artwork that can foster camaraderie amongst viewers, as strangers relate their own experiences through your life story.

image © BMW AG

Alex Israel explains the origins of his concept during the opening of REMEMBR with BMW at Art Basel Miami Beach: ‘I was really interested in doing a project with artificial intelligence. I was trying to figure it out, and I got a call from BMW proposing a project with artificial intelligence for Art Basel Miami Beach… the answer was yes! I went to Munich and met with the head designer at BMW, Domagoj Dukec and he showed me this all-electric BMW i5.

‘There are a lot of things about the car that really interest me. For instance it uses AI in a lot of different ways. If you’re texting and driving the AI feature says: Stop texting, you’re driving!’

image © BMW AG

The artist continues: ‘The technology in the car is really advanced. It’s designed to merge man and machine into a closer, connected unit. We’re all experiencing that in a way, especially with our phones. My phone is an external memory bank for my brain. Specifically when it comes to pictures — I have like one hundred thousand pictures and videos of my life documented.

‘I thought, what if there was a way to see your life that isn’t tedious. A bit like Apple’s curated ‘memories.’ What if there was a way to do that on a bigger scale to condense your life into a moment that’s really impactful. We’d need more than one screen, and certainly a lot of editors. Maybe we can use AI as our editor. So that’s what we did.‘
image © BMW AG
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