BMW open work debuts with immersive installation at frieze london 2017

BMW ‘open work’ launches at frieze london 2017, with a multi-platform and multi-sensory commission by olivia erlanger, entitled ‘body electric’. the new york-based artist’s immersive installation unfolds across the physical space, as well as digital platforms, reacting upon the actions of the viewers. it explores fictional tales through a combination of elements from science fiction, economic flows and integrated design.

all images © BMW. photography: rob low

‘as humans begin a mutative synthesis with our machines, ‘body electric’ considers the changing relationship that we have to the environment, as our embodied experience of the ‘natural’ becomes increasingly mediated and distorted by objects of our own design‘, says olivia erlanger on her creative approach.

olivia erlanger’s ‘body electric’ work places three motion-sensitive benches in an active atmosphere of thick fog and blue light that constantly changes in response to oil prices. the furniture, described as ‘the oldest industrial element placed in public contexts’, act as audio devices, inviting audiences to sit and listen to both real and fictional testimonies about an ecological event. by using a mixture of old and future technologies, the installation speculates on the adapting relationship between humans and their environment, focusing specifically on our bodily experience.

curated by attilia fattori franchini, the premier of BMW ‘open work’ marks the annual invitation to an artist to develop a visionary project that creates an immersive experience for viewers. influenced by umberto eco’s literary essay ‘opera aperta’ from 1962, olivia erlanger’s ‘body electric’ is on display at frieze london 2017 in regent’s park.