Mini by Bisazza

Bisazza craftsmen have encrusted each MINI with over 30,000 colored glass stones, creating four "artomotive" masterpieces in the themes of a Zebra, Summer Flowers, Tartan plaid and a Dama. The glass, each one-half inch by one-half inch in size were used to transform the vehicles, with 31,700 glass stones laid on each convertible and 37,004 on each coupe.

The MINI wears Bisazza design was created by Carlo dal Bianco and Marco Braga. The MINI Convertibles in Zebra and Dama Design have a mosaic surface of 6 sqm.

The two MINI cars in the Summer Flowers and Tartan Design have a surface of 7 sqm each. The mosaics were created using glass stones which are only 12 x 12 mm in size.

More than 30 thousand glass stones are required for a MINI in Bisazza dress: 31,700 for the MINI Convertibles, 37,004 for the closed MINI version. After careful analysis of the MINI shapes and materials, the challenge above all was to make the patterns and colours look homogeneous in three dimensions.

Two of these stunning works, the Tartan and the Dama, are on display at the Conran Shop in New York City from May 14 to June 5, 2007. The cars are part of Conran's exclusive British Influence exhibition, curated by Max Fraser, celebrating "all things British".

The exhibition is also concurrent with the 17th International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) from May 14-17 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The ICFF is North America's leading trade fair for avant-garde interior design with 500 exhibitors from all over the world expected.

The mosiac-ed MINIs are on tour around the world at select design and furniture exhibitions. The cars debuted in Milan at the Salone Internationale del Mobile, April 13-18, 2005. The two other MINIs, Zebra and Summer Flower, are also currently on display in Berlin Mai in Berlin from May 5-16.

"The partnership between MINI and Bisazza underscores a shared philosophy that values designs that are as thrilling as they are sexy, as classic as they are innovative," said Jim McDowell, Vice President, MINI USA. "We are thrilled to engage with such an avant-garde partner."

(source: BMW)