Muse

Muse, the Rolls-Royce Arts Programme fosters creativity through collaboration with artists who share our passion for pushing technical and conceptual boundaries.

A NEW VISION

Rolls-Royce is synonymous with limitless imagination. Our driving ambition – to inspire greatness – embodies the same restless curiosity that spurs artists into new terrain.

Muse will foster and inspire creativity through collaboration with artists who share our passion for pushing technical and conceptual boundaries. Rolls-Royce will provide selected artists with time and resource to produce art conceived, and to be experienced, without compromise. Our aim: to leave a legacy of exceptional artistic achievements.

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THE WORLD OF MUSE

Welcome to the world of Muse. Together, our flagship Dream Commission and the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge embraces a wide spectrum of contemporary visual expression, from artists who exhibited moving image in esteemed museums and biennials, to pioneering design visionaries committed to the heritage of their craft, while making use of the latest technological advances.

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SPIRIT OF ECSTASY CHALLENGE EXHIBITION

Explore the unveiling of the inaugural Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge exhibition, showcasing three winning artists who created unique objects inspired by the Spirit of Ecstasy, the sculptural figurine that adorns the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce motor car.

STITCHED URBAN SKIN, BI RONGRONG

Titled “Stitched Urban Skin”, Bi Rongrong’s work consists of three layers of two-dimensional sheets made from different materials: specially treated metal, an animated LED light sheet, and a Perspex sheet embedded with crochet. Resembling two triumphant wings about to take flight, Ghizlane Sahli’s artwork is a joyous celebration of femininity and freedom.

NISSA'S RINA, GHIZLANE SAHLI

Resembling two triumphant wings about to take flight, Ghizlane Sahli’s artwork is a joyous celebration of femininity and freedom.

TRANSIENT MATERIALITY, SCARLETT YANG

In keeping with the hybrid nature of her practice, Scarlett Yang’s artwork is composed of two elements.

PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF TEXTILES

In anticipation of the Autumn reveal of the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge final artworks, Muse sits down with Christine Franck, Head of Colour, Materials & Trim Design at Rolls-Royce, to delve into the enormous creative potential of textiles. The opportunities to imagine something radically innovative in textiles have never been more far-reaching or fanciful. Versatile, delicate, and steeped in history, textile offers up a wide-open terrain of creative possibility.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

We are honoured to announce the three winners of the inaugural Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge. Bi Rongrong, Ghizlane Sahli and Scarlett Yang were selected by a jury of experts for their innovative approaches to textiles.

SPIRIT OF ECSTASY WINNER SCARLETT YANG

Few young designers have approached the question of sustainability in the fashion industry as compellingly as Scarlett Yang, the London-based designer who experiments with biomaterials and virtual technologies to create mesmerising sculptural garments.

SPIRIT OF ECSTASY WINNER GHIZLANE SAHLI

In the hands of Sahli and the local artisans she works with, throwaway items gain new life as beautiful, intricate creations. She combines their knowledge of traditional textile techniques with her own contemporary style to create bold abstract works.

SPIRIT OF ECSTASY WINNER BI RONGRONG

Bi Rongrong is an artist who reads cities. When travelling to new or familiar places, she scans the urban architecture for street art, ornamental patterns, posters – any fragments she can use as visual fodder for her vibrant multimedia works.

REIMAGINING AN ICON

Launching this year, the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge celebrates both tradition and innovation. This biennial design project will invite three emerging design visionaries to create unique works inspired by the ethos of Rolls-Royce, as symbolised by the Spirit of Ecstasy, the sculptural figurine that adorns the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce motor car.

MOVED BY THE SPIRIT

Ever since the first encounter between Charles Rolls and Henry Royce, in 1904, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has been synonymous with limitless imagination.

JANE SUITOR THE ART OF COLLECTING

Next in our ongoing series of talks with collectors from across the globe, Muse speaks to Jane Suitor, an experienced art advisor and collector, who, for 20 years, has helped her clients navigate the global art market, collecting, and investing for the short and long term.

NEW TECHNOLOGY IN ART: DOMINIQUE GONZALEZ-FOERSTER

‘What if aliens were in love with us?’ This enticing line of enquiry is presented, this summer, by Serpentine, London, and sponsored by Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme. Alienarium 5 is a major exhibition by leading artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, which combines virtual reality with olfactory, sensory elements. Here, the curator Claude Adjil describes how the project came into being.

THE ART OF COLLECTING

Conversations With Collectors

IN CONVERSATION WITH MOVING IMAGE COLLECTOR PAMELA KRAMLICH

Experience the world of moving image art through Pamela Kramlich’s eyes as we journey through her visionary collection of art built up over the past 30 years

GENERATION NEXT

Uber-art collector and founder of Beijing’s X Museum, Michael Xufu Huang, joins Muse in conversation.

ART IN 360

Like many fairy tales, the world of immersive art lies beyond the imagination. By placing the viewer centre stage, with senses ignited, this far-away land comes to life.

COLLECTING AND CURATING MEDIA ART

Muse, the Rolls-Royce art programme and their partner Fondation Beyeler looked at the fascinating world of art collecting in relation to moving image art.

CAO FEI: BLUEPRINTS

A forward-looking vision that fosters creativity through collaboration with boundary-pushing artists.

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A TOPOGRAPHIC TALE OF BEAUTY

Dan Holdsworth’s ‘Acceleration Structures’ explores and examines the topography of three great Alpine glaciers using geomapping technology, like no artist has done before.

INSPIRING MINDS

Join artist Mohammed Kazem and Rolls-Royce Bespoke Designer, Michael Bryden as they discuss a unique artistic collaboration.

CURATORIAL COMMISSIONS

Rolls-Royce champions artists of international merit through its curatorial commissions, which enable artists to realise projects, explore ideas and engage new audiences.

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STONES AGAINST DIAMONDS BY ISAAC JUILEN

Commissioned as part of the Rolls‑Royce Art Programme, Isaac Julien’s Stones Against Diamonds explores the subjects of beauty and natural creation within the landscape of Iceland.

ART OF PERFECTION

Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme proudly presents Art of Perfection: Data Painting, an original work from acclaimed media artist Refik Anadol.

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MUSE: THE ROLLS-ROYCE ART PROGRAMME

A forward-looking vision that fosters creativity through collaboration with boundary-pushing artists.

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DREAM COMMISSION IN VENICE

The art world flocked to the canals of Venice for the pre-opening of the world’s most prominent international art event, the 59th Venice Biennale.

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THE INAUGURAL DREAM COMMISSION

We are thrilled to announce the opening of Sondra Perry’s inaugural Dream Commission winning artwork ‘Lineage for a Phantom Zone’ at Fondation Beyeler, in Basel Switzerland, on 13 February 2022.

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YEAR AHEAD IN MOVING IMAGE ART

The year shaped up to be another horizon-expanding year for moving-image art.

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A YEAR IN MOVING IMAGE ART

We reflect on the stand-out moments of a year in which moving image cemented its status as the art form of choice for expressing the realities of our age.

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SONDRA PERRY | WINNERS PREVIEW

Sondra Perry, winner of the Dream Commission performs latest work at Art Basel

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MOVING IMAGE ART: PART II

By the time of the Millennium, moving image art had infiltrated the art world. Artists like Pipilotti Rist and Bill Viola were becoming household names, Rist’s lavish large-scale installations and Viola’s theatrical ‘total environments’ had proven how moving image art works could create transfixing experiences that could extend beyond the screen.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF MOVING IMAGE ART: PART I

As moving image art enters a new era of heightened relevance, consistently reflecting our shared experiences, one of the main inspirations for the Dream Commission, so we look back to the humble origins of the medium to see how it has evolved from experimental novelty to a futuristic mainstay of contemporary art.

WINNERS DREAM COMMISSION: LIFE IN DREAMS

We explore the innovative work of the dream commission winner, who has gained critical acclaim for arresting visual displays that harness digital technology to explore themes including identity, memory, and longing.

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WINNERS DREAM COMMISSION: DREAMS TRIUMPH

Introducing the winner of Muse, the Rolls-Royce Art Programme’s Dream Commission 2021: American artist Sondra Perry.

2021: LOOKING AHEAD

From algorithmic beauty to multi-sensory installations, prepare to be immersed and transported into a land of dreams.

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MUSE - A YEAR IN MOVING IMAGE

Moving-image works took on a whole new relevance in 2020 as an unprecedented shift to digital ignited creativity in this field and allowed it to reach an audience on a scale like never before.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION - BEATRIZ SANTIAGO MUÑOZ

Artist and filmmaker, Beatriz Santiago Munoz develops perspective in the world around us, through close observation of the natural environment.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION - MARTINE SYMS

Multimedia artist Martine Syms focuses on social commentary, seeking depth and complexity within moving-image.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION - SONDRA PERRY

Unearthing new conversations, Sondra Perry unites art history with technology in her digital culture films.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION - ZHOU TAO

Guangzhou-based artist Zhou Tao records his environment, creating urban documentaries that blur fact with fiction.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION - SHORTLIST

The Dream Commission, Muse’s flagship initiative, strives to support this spirit of innovation at a time when it has never been more vital.

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THE DREAM COMMISSION

The Dream Commission celebrates moving-image works created by emerging and mid-career artists worldwide.

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PIONEERING COMMISSIONS

Discover new pioneering commissions from today’s most exciting contemporary artists and creatives.

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