KodlContemporary x Porsche

Contemporary Czech art and automotive design have come together in a unique art project by KodlContemporary and Porsche, which represents a fascinating fusion of art and design. The artist Jan Kaláb, who created the color gradient of the exterior, and the artist and designer Lukáš Novák, who is the author of the glass fragments in the interior of the legendary sports car, participated in the exclusive modification of the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring. The resulting work was captured by the renowned photographer Alžběta Jungrová.

"The Porsche 911 is a work of art in itself. When it is also combined with contemporary Czech art, including glass objects, a touch of graffiti to abstraction and photography, it creates a perfect combination of two worlds," says Jakub Kodl, founder and owner of KodlContemporary, who initiated the whole idea of the unique project. He therefore approached one of the most successful Czech artists, Jan Kaláb, who some time ago artistically conceived the body of his own Porsche 911 from the 80s, and therefore already has experience with a similar undertaking. He turned the original blue shade of the car into a gradient playing with several colors.

The Porsche 911 has been a legend for 60 years

"We recently celebrated the anniversary of this legendary sports car, and this is just another proof of the popularity of the Porsche 911. The fact that young domestic artists chose it for a unique project made us very happy and we were happy to work together on it," commented Jan Sedláček, executive director of Porsche import to the Czech Republic. The selected Porsche 911 GT3 Touring combines highly sporty technology with a naturally aspirated 4.0 liter 510 hp engine and a discreet design without the rear wing so typical of the classic "gé-té-troika". Primarily, the GT3 Touring is oriented towards driving in normal traffic, where it can develop a maximum speed of up to 320 km/h.

The gradient of yellow, red and dark blue represents a unique design

“Since this is a newer model than the one I modified for myself, it was easier to disassemble the parts. The advantage is that I already had experience with the procedure. However, what was new for me was that more artists were involved in the project, as well as the opportunity to collaborate with the Porsche Center Prague on Prosek. We were able to use the paint shop, paints and guns, and they were all very helpful when disassembling the car," explains artist Jan Kaláb about the creation process, adding that the design is different from his older model. The new Porsche 911 GT3 Touring has a more powerful shape and the rear wheels are larger than the front, so this time the artist kept the gradient in a horizontal plane. It starts with a yellow color that turns into red to dark blue, which gradually lightens. This creates a visual effect resembling flames. As the blue shade remains on the roof, it is hardly visible from the side and can therefore optically appear to turn black. "The most exciting moment was how to deal with the detail of raising the rear spoiler. Here, the gradient of red breaks into dark," describes Kalab.

Jan Kaláb, photo: Alžběta Jungrová

A car with artistic glass elements in the interior

"We have already met Honza Kaláb a few times and we were both interested in the topic of speed, dynamics and energy that radiates from the car. I saw that Honzo's work captures and develops the dynamic component of the car, and I tried to do something similar in the interior. I tried to use visual language to amplify the energy that the car evokes in me and that I want it to evoke in the person who will drive it. Creating glass segments for a car is a big responsibility, which is why I collaborated on the project with a team of the best glassmakers," says artistic glassblower and designer Lukáš Novák. In his work on the exclusive modification of the Porsche 911 GT3 Touring, he focused in particular on the center panel and the parts it contains to use as an object to embody his vision.

Lukáš Novák, photo: Alžběta Jungrová 

  photo: Sára Vlčková

Color is the element that moves the photo

The trio of artists participating in the spectacular project is complemented by photographer Alžběta Jungrová, whose task was to capture the resulting work and create a series of images in which the exclusively modified Porsche will play the main role. "The people at KodlContemporary asked me to participate in this project and collaborate with other artists. It is relatively unusual in the Czech Republic, but I personally established such cooperation across the Czech scene a few years ago in my own projects, and I perceive it as very beneficial for all involved. I have known Jan Kaláb for over 20 years and have followed his development in visual arts, while I personally met Lukáš Novák for the first time as part of the project, although I have also been following his creative process for several years. I respect both of them very much," says Alžběta Jungrová, who has already worked on campaigns for car companies as part of commercial photography, but now she photographed a sports car for the first time. She admits that she was attracted by the combination of art with useful design. The challenge for her was the color of the entire work, as in her free work she mainly concentrates on black and white photographs or monochrome processing. “Color is another element that moves a photograph. Coincidentally, I am just starting my new project, which will be very colorful, which is why the offer came at a great time. In the work of Honza Kalab, however, I skipped another ten stages of development and immediately threw myself into a color mix that I would have worked on for a long time," adds the photographer, whose images contain strong stories and evoke a wide range of emotions in the audience.

Alžběta Jungrová, photo: Daniel Novák

Art is omnipresent

The original Porsche 911 GT3 Touring model already has its owner, but it was presented to the public at Pařížská street 25 - in the premises that will be the headquarters of KodlContemporary in the near future. Subsequently, the unique car will be seen on Czech and European streets. "I would be happy if the car drove around the city and aroused astonishment and enthusiasm in passers-by. Thanks to this project, we can show that art is omnipresent," believes Jan Kaláb, and Jakub Kodl adds that in the future, KodlContemporary would be happy to continue the collaboration and prepare an exclusive modification of two more Porsche cars.