Sam Lewitt’s Core, An Installation Probing The Industrial Industry

New York-based artist Sam Lewitt was commissioned to create an ambitious new installation as part of the BMW Open Work at ‘Frieze London’ 2018. Titled ‘Core’, the piece challenges our understanding of motor corporate production conceptually through sculpture.

‘Core’ explores elements of car making, by reinterpreting car parts and manufacturing techniques in the creation of an art installation. With BMW engine specialists, Lewitt produced two ‘cores’ that explore the production cycle of an engine. The cores are mold structures, cast from sand and binder they take the form of the universal car engine; the brain of all vehicles that is responsible for powering the motor. Lewitt is known for his abstraction of existing industrial machine materials, reformatting them as art. This technique exists as part of a wider theme explored by the artist, which involves examining the conditions of the production industry, and its relationship to the context in which it emerges. The piece is the second iteration of BMW Open Work, an artistic initiative that artwork with the capacity to spark conversations around art, design and technology. The initiative is part of the international art fair Frieze London, a critically acclaimed program of commissioned artworks, talks, and films held annually.

All images © Jin Kim