Infiniti hits the fast lane with 'Dare to Love'

Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co's premium brand Infiniti gave a lift to its 2014 marketing campaign by providing customers with a new experience combining art and emotion.

Earlier this month, Infiniti announced its sponsorship of famed Chinese artist Cai Guoqiang's solo exhibition called The Ninth Wave at Shanghai's Power Station of Art, the nation's first publicly funded contemporary art museum.

The artistic endeavor was kicked off by a 10-minute daylight fireworks display Elegy along the Huangpu River. It is the first time the New York-based artist born in China is giving a daytime fireworks display to Chinese audience.

Cai is best known for his firework shows at the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China in 2009, and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Employing colored smoke and conceived in three chapters - Mourning, Remembrance, and Consolation - the "explosion event" is an expression of sorrow for the demise of nature, said the artist.

Including 11 major works representing the diversity of his art, Cai Guoqiang: The Ninth Wave "unapologetically sheds light on one of the greatest challenges faced by mankind - Earth's current environmental and ecological crisis", Cai said.

With heavy smog in the air and 16,000 dead pigs floating down the Huangpu River last year, environmental issues in China have reached a critical level, Cai said.

Exploring the challenge to the environment, the artist references a theme in traditional Chinese aesthetics and philosophy - humanity's longing to return to a primordial landscape and spiritual homeland.

The gallery's building, a former electrical plant, serves as a powerful backdrop for an exhibition that focuses on interaction with nature.

"In combination with the Power Station of Art's unique historical background, Cai addresses increasingly urgent environmental and ecological issues through rich and varied artistic explorations," said Gong Yan, director of the gallery.

"The deep humanistic concerns expressed in The Ninth Wave have great significance in contemporary society."

In addition, an Infiniti seven-seat QX60 Hybrid painted by 15 young children, including eight with autism, guided by Cai was also debuted and became part of the exhibition.

The paintings were finished after the children visited the indoor installation of The Ninth Wave, a fishing boat from the artist's hometown of Quanzhou, Fujian province that carried 99 fabricated animals to the Bund on July 16.

"The paintings indicated the same rich and colorful inner world between normal and autistic children," said Daniel Kirchert, managing director of Infiniti China.

"The highly efficient, low-exhaust Infiniti QX60 perfectly matches the environmental theme of The Ninth Wave, representing Infiniti's social responsibility in the environmental protection sector."

He said the art-covered vehicle will be an icon for Infiniti's Gan Ai - or Dare to Love - charity program that focuses on autistic children, and will be used in the popular reality show "Where Are We Going, Dad?" sponsored by Infiniti.

Cai also donated one of his exhibited art pieces - The Bund Without Us, No 9 - to Infiniti for a charity auction. "Cai is a very inspirational and endearing contemporary artist," said Kirchert. "His artistic expression, consideration of nature and people, as well as attention to children's education, all reflect the Gan Ai spirit."

The Gan Ai brand concept was introduced in the Chinese market last year "to build emotional resonance with young-minded premium car customers", he said, noting gan represents performance and provocation and ai the carmaker's passion and precision - the four Ps at the core of the Infiniti.

"As an emotional luxury auto brand, Infiniti hopes to personalize its products with more human charm rather than technologies and functions, and reinforce the emotional characteristics of the brand through its partnership," said Kirchert.

To provide ai - or love - to autistic children, Infiniti makes a strong effort to support the special group by involving dealers, car owners, media and celebrities.

Flim star Zhou Xun, who serves as Infiniti's Gan Ai ambassador, said she was moved by the autistic children at the Beijing Stars and Rain educational institution. She invited some to watch her at a recent charity evening in Hangzhou.

Infiniti also displays autistic children's paintings at many of its big marketing events, bringing attention to the group.

"Infiniti hopes to bring together more power from society to build up a sustainable and transparent charity platform to practice Gan Ai in the long run," said Kirchert.

lifangfang@chinadaily.com.cn