Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge

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Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge celebrates creativity in design and the physical potential of materials.

INSPIRED BY AN ICON, EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF MATERIALS

A celebration of both tradition and innovation, the Spirit of Ecstasy Challenge will invite artists, designers, architects and other creative virtuosi to re-imagine the sculptural figurine that has graced the bonnet of every Rolls-Royce motor car for a century, each time in a different material. With the Spirit of Ecstasy as a point of departure and orientation, the participants will be encouraged to push the limits of the selected material and create objects that surprise, delight and inspire.

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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.

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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.

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.

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