This is Forwardism – the BMW i7 x Nick Knight campaign
About a month ago, ellectric covered the exclusive reveal of the new all-electric BMW i7, which we were invited to witness. The vehicle is an exciting move towards the future for the BMW Group, as it ushers the company into a new era of luxury, individual mobility and an upgraded driving experience. It’s also a significant step in terms of electrification and towards a more progressive and sustainable mobility for the brand. And earlier this month, the brand revealed a breath-taking campaign for the vehicle, in collaboration with legendary photographer Nick Knight.
Nick Knight
Nick Knight, born in 1958, has established himself as a force of nature in the world of fashion photography. He remains one of the most influential and pioneering photographers of our time and is committed to pushing boundaries, both creatively and technically. He also strives to challenge conventional notions of beauty, which of course resonates with us at ellectric. Over the past decades, he has created highly disruptive works in collaboration with fashion designers and in the constant exploration of the craft’s limits. Most notably, he has collaborated with Yohji Yamamoto, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen.
BMW i7 x Nick Knight
This is why it only made sense for BMW to invite the legendary photographer to capture the new BMW i7 in avant-gardist images.
"The BMW i7 is engineering at its highest level. Accordingly, it was our ambition to have the car photographed by an internationally renowned artist and staged as a work of art. The extraordinary collaboration with Nick Knight has been very inspiring for all of us. Never before has a BMW been staged in such an artistic and progressive way." – Jens Thiemer, Senior Vice President Customer & Brand at BMW AG
In an interview with the BMW Magazine, Nick Knight said about the images: “With this campaign, I explicitly wanted to free people’s perception up a little bit and allow them to interpret the images in a new way. That’s why I inverted the colour space digitally and when I looked at the screen, I saw a different world than the one in front of the camera. This was no longer the world we live in; it was a fantasy space that does not exist. It frees us up to enjoy things and feel new things. This not only offers new ways of seeing, but it also frees us from certain decisions and restrictions of reality. I enjoyed suddenly working with people who have green or blue skin, and I hope other people will find it liberating as well.”
The images themselves are frankly quite awe-inspiring – the futuristic feel and artful play on space, colour and light launches the viewer to a strange limbo where it’s impossible to fully grasp what is what. Of course, the BMW i7 is in clear view, and in some images in fact the only subject, almost posed as a model would be. Whenever human models are involved, Nick Knight’s fashion background pops out of the screen – the elegant poses using the body as poetry, the beautiful costume design and makeup…This all results in a campaign that looks less like traditional photographs and more like futuristic paintings full of dynamism.
This is Forwardism
“Fowardism” is an art term that describes the joy of seeing and feeling the future before it is created. In order to achieve this effect in viewers, the artist must constantly be questioning and challenging conventions in order to create the future. This is exactly what Nick Knight aimed for with this campaign, and the result is an expressive, sensual and equally aesthetically innovative series of images that turns classic visual habits on their head.
"I like the idea that Forwardism is about moving into the future rather than referring to the past. For me, this is the only way we can really express ourselves and set challenging goals. That was the starting point for this project, to encourage people to think forward. It was especially important to me that it looks different from anything you've seen before," said the photographer.
Of course, photography – like any art form – entails the telling of a story. This is why it was important for Nick Knight to find the story within the BMW i7 in order to create his beautiful campaign. When asked about what that narrative is, he said: “The first thing I noticed when I got into the BMW i7 was that it is a safe and exciting space. There is a certain amount of luxury that comes with this car – you instantly feel safe, and stress melts away. It feels like it is especially made for you, like a custom experience, which is a luxury, too. I also noticed a level of engagement with the future. The car is already engaging in a new world that is starting to reveal itself around us. Artificial intelligence and technology are working for the driver, which makes every drive more enjoyable. You don’t change a car as easily and quickly as the fashion industry might be changing, but this model reflects the change that is happening in society.”
Pictures: BMW Group