quattro silhouettes/ Audi at Design Miami/ Basel 2013
Audi, the official automative sponsor of Design Miami/ Basel 2013, is presenting a unique installation titled “Home of quattro.” Hamburg-based scenographer Tim John has created a 20-meter-long installation, with a highly detailed and multi-layered sequence of scenes that portray important milestones in the history of the legendary four-wheel drive. Since opening his studio in 2007, Tim John has created handmade, intricately-detailed, interactive exhibits, static objects for decoration and sets, as well as installations extending over entire rooms.
quattro, which was first introduced by Audi in 1980, is a name that simultaneously represents engineering excellence, sportiness, and driving safety. Present at the installation are the very first and very latest Audi vehicles to utilize the quattro system. A glimmering, cherry-red Audi Sport quattro, manufactured in 1984 and one of only 214 to ever be made, sits next to an equally lustrous, 560 horsepower Audi RS6 Avant from 2013.
Carved out of nearly 200 pounds of cardboard, Tim John created a 13-meter-long, seven scene set that lives in the individual letters in quattro. Each whittled tableau tells a story regarding the revolutionary automobile system, starting with Walter Röhrl, the legendary racer who startled the racing world by shattering the course record in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.Another scene re-imagines the famed Audi commercial wherein a driver drove up a snow-covered ski-jump in Kaipola, Finland, relying only on the extreme power of the quattro four-wheel drive. John also uses his craftsmanship to visually represent the mechanics of quattro, illustrating how the system delivers superior handling, acceleration, and reliability.
In February 2013 Audi celebrated a very special event – the five millionth Audi with a quattro drive system. This number is a testament to the leading role played by quattro, and this year’s collaboration with Tim John is proof that Audi can also create a unique and compelling design exhibit.
