We headed down to London’s Protein Studios last night, to check out Mercedes-Benz’s new collaboration with Stockholm-based artist Gustaf Westman. The architect-turned-designer, who’s known for his colourful Memphis Group-meets-Scandinavian style in furniture and homeware, showed off his bubble-pink take on the new Mercedes-Benz CLA, which was all about camping with friends.
This experimental linkup was ahead of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA launch, and Mercedes collabed with a range of ambassadors with its “Class of Creators” program to express innovation, linking with KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, Hot Wheels and Ice Spice, among others. This was Gustaf’s turn to play around and use the CLA as a blank canvas.
“The whole idea about the art piece is a road trip with friends,” Gustaf said, “and I added stuff to the car that you would need for this road trip or to use while you’re outdoors. It has a tent on top, it has a foldable picnic table behind where you can put your plates and mugs, and it has an extra big mirror, a wing mirror, where you can check your style or whatever you want to do while you’re out on a ride.”
The space was insane. Bro built a world of his own and called it “Gustaf Westman Park”. And Gustaf gave us a tour. As we entered, the space featured a blueprint of his apartment in Stockholm, including a kitchen table with his kitchenware and his new pink hot dog plate, which he was gassed about. His favourite hot dog toppings? “Ketchup and mustard – I’m not a freaky person.” Palomas and hot dogs were being served throughout the night (to go with the pink and hot dog themes), served on his exclusively designed Mercedes-Benz pink plates.
As you walked out of Gustaf’s apartment, he had a map for the Gustaf Westman Park. And the bubblegum pink shade saturated the space: from the car to the plates to the inflatable tent, everything was pink in this immersive camping experience with the puffed pink Mercedes-Benz CLA right in the middle of his park.
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Mercedes-Benz just let Gustaf go crazy with it. “The collaboration started like a year and a half ago, they sent me the whole project and it sounded so interesting. The creative scope was very free, and that’s what I’m looking for in a collaboration, because I haven’t done a lot of collaborations before – and making a car is such a dream project.”
It makes so much sense that Gustaf has a background in architecture. “It influences my work a lot like every object that I do, even this car, even if it’s a cup, I kind of see it as a small building. And to make a building work, you need to have a strong concept and a strong idea.” The most interesting thing on his mood board? “I always have spaceships.” So real.
Featured images via Mercedes-Benz©
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