By LAWRENCE TAN
Volkswagen's automotive theme park, the Autostadt, reopened
on 31 October with a gleaming new centerpiece, a mirror-finished Bugatti
Veyron.
The "Premium Clubhouse", which represents the
Wolfsburg-based German automaker's multi-brand luxury and premium division, has
been decked out by British architect Stephen Williams to include a curved
walkway and lounge that "virtually floats into the space".
But it is the mirror-finished Bugatti Veyron in the middle
of a mirror-clad room in the exhibition area that stops visitors in their
tracks. The high-gloss Bugatti is an artwork entitled "Après vous" by
artist Olaf Nicolai.
The artist’s inspiration comes from his attempt to challenge
aesthetic perceptions by showing objects in a different light. In his highly
reflective installation, the observer is reflected in an infinite number of
times, as in a mirrored elevator, and thus becomes part of the exhibit.
Besides the lustrous bug, the Autostadt also features the
artistic installations of Anselm Reyle and Peter Zimmerman, and houses the
ZeitHaus (or museum), which displays the classics of automobile history.
www.autostadt.de
via Jalopnik